I'll Always Be Your Little Girl
by Xx.Hikari The Light.xX
Summary: Many years have passed since the defeat of Naraku and the notorious Band of Seven and now Inuyasha’s daughter is stepping into the picture. What dangers lie ahead for her and for that matter, how will Inuyasha react to them?
1. Prologue

**I'll Always Be Your Little Girl**

_**Luna, Princess of the Shadows: **Okay, this is my second attempt at an Inuyasha fic and I'm hoping that this one will eventually be completed. I have a rough idea of how I want this story to turn out so it shouldn't be that long a wait between chapters. Well, enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha! _

_**Pairings: **SangoxMiroku (More to come later)_

_**Warnings:** Kagome is excluded from this story. You will find out why soon enough. _

_**Summary:** Many years have passed since the defeat of Naraku and the notorious Band of Seven and now Inuyasha's daughter is stepping into the picture. What dangers lie ahead for her and for that matter, how will Inuyasha react to them?_

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In the middle of Feudal Japan, where the skies were abnormally clear with no sign of evil, a young demon girl sat peacefully on the edge of a riverbank. She sighed softly and then tilted her head up to look at the beautiful white clouds passing overhead.

_Why can't my life be carefree just like the clouds? _She thought mentally, searching her mind for an answer that she was unable to obtain.

"Kura?" a voice spoke from behind some nearby bushes. The girl then moved her head back and forth, oblivious to who was talking to her. Just then, before she could even think another word, a figure stepped out from the shadows. He was in fact a demon: long, black hair exceeding down to his hips, intense crimson orbs, fangs on either side of his mouth, sharp, dangerous-looking claws and was wearing a pitch black kimono lined with red stripes on the arm and leg cufflings.

"Oh, Kiatsu, it's only you." She then let out a great sigh of relief. "For a minute there I thought you were some demon out to kill me."

Kiatsu let out a small laugh. "I wouldn't kill you and you know it. Besides, I bet your father would have my head." Kura managed a laugh at that remark.

"Yes, he would. You know what my dad is like. He's very concerned with my safety."

Kiatsu smirked. "Which is why I try not to get on his bad side."

Kura returned the emotional gesture. "That's a good choice."

"Kura! Kura, where are you?" a voice erupted from the distance. Kura heaved a heavy sigh.

"That's my father. I guess I better get going." However, the moment she went to stand up, a shadowy figure emerged from the trees. When Kura got a closer look at the being, she instantly recognized who it was and knew that her instincts proved to be correct. He was yet another demon and even more ferocious-looking than Kiatsu. His long, beautiful silvery white hair exceeded down to his hips, he had sharp-pointed fangs on either side of his mouth, was wearing a red kimono lined with white along the arm and leg cufflings and was inevitably a dog demon. He approached Kura looking angry, upset and flustered.

"I've been looking all over for you. Why did you decide to come out this far? You know that the farther out you go the more dangerous this place becomes. I've already lost your mother and I don't want to lose you too…' The demon then wrapped his arms tightly around his daughter, embracing her in a comforting hug. The young girl hesitated for a moment before returning the loving gesture.

"Don't worry daddy, you won't lose me. After all, I was trained by the best half-demon that ever lived." Kura smiled happily, hoping that that comment would raise her father's spirits as well.

Kiatsu, on the other hand, took a seat on a nearby log and watched the two console each other during this loving moment. Kura then broke the hug and turned to her friend.

"Well it looks like I'm going to be heading off now…"

Kiatsu nodded. "Go ahead. I'm just going to stay here awhile to reflect on my thoughts."

Kura looked at Kiatsu with a straight face, almost as if she was upset. "Okay…" and with that, Kura and her father left Kiatsu to be alone.

* * *

Once they arrived back at the village where the duo was currently staying, Sango ran up, along with Kilala and Shippo.

"Oh, Kura! You're back!" the young demon slayer exclaimed, embracing Kura in a warm, friendly hug. "We were all so worried about you…especially Inuyasha…" When both girls turned to look at the half-demon, he crossed his arms and scoffed.

"Dad…" Kura spoke in a soft whisper.

"Feh, I wasn't worried. I'm just looking out for her is all."

Sango leaned in closer to Kura and whispered in her ear. "Don't let him fool you. He really was worried; he just doesn't like to show his emotions as often as everyone else."

Kura nodded. "I understand." She took one last look at her father and then headed off towards their hut. "I'm going to head in and take a little rest for awhile. I'll be back out later." Sango nodded her head in agreement as Inuyasha just stood in his normal pose: arms placed firmly across his chest, a straight face and his eyes closed. Kura wondered what was wrong. Ever since they had got back he had been acting rather strange. Was it because he was scared of losing her? As she played with this thought over and over again in her mind, she eventually decided that she wasn't going to ask any more questions and would wait for the answers to come to her.

The moment Kura disappeared out of sight, Inuyasha opened his eyes and turned to Sango.

"I don't want to lose her…" were the first words to escape his lips.

"What?" Sango looked rather confused.

"I don't want her to befall the same fate as Kagome…" As he spoke, he tilted his head down so that his bangs were covering his eyes. "I can't and won't let that happen."

"I know you won't." Sango smiled. "You're the best father Kura could have and I bet she's thankful for that as well."

"Yah, so?" Inuyasha then turned his gaze back to Sango. "I just don't want the incident with Kagome to happen all over again."

"And it won't. "You're doing a great job protecting her so don't doubt yourself."

"Whatever," and with that said, Inuyasha headed back into the forest. Sango continued to stare at him until he was no longer visible. She then sighed and walked over to the tent where Kura was currently resting. She sat down in front of it. Kilala and Shippo both took a seat next to her; Kilala was curled up beside its master and Shippo just laid on the ground, staring up at the sky above.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One: A New Ally**

The next morning, when the sun had just risen, Kura walked out of the hut before everyone else was awake. She headed to the nearby stream to clean herself up. As she splashed the cool water on her face, she sensed a strange presence lurking nearby. She stood up and looked around.

"Dad?" she called out hesitantly, hoping to hear a response from her father. Nothing. Now she was getting worried. What if whoever it was wanted her and her alone? What if-? Suddenly, a rustle from within the trees interrupted her thoughts.

"Who's there?" There was a slight tremble in her voice but she managed to remain calm.

The sound got louder and louder and louder until…

"Who are you?" But it wasn't Kura that had asked this typical question…

"Dad?" The young girl looked at the tall figure in front of her. He stood in his typical battle stance with his sword held out in front of him.

"Answer me! Who are you?" he demanded angrily.

The mysterious figure closed her eyes and sighed. "Typical behaviour of a demon…or should I say half-demon…" Putting heavy emphasis on **_half-demon_**, the figure, who appeared to be a young girl around Kura's age, opened one eye slyly and smiled evilly.

Inuyasha growled lowly. "That's it!" He then jumped up with his sword over his shoulder and prepared to strike.

"Pathetic," the girl scoffed and held her arms high above her head. "Aqua Shield!" she exclaimed as a giant wall of water came up from the ground to form a barrier in front of her. The minute Inuyasha's sword hit the shield, it passed right through to the ground and was then shot back, along with its master, by electrical currents.

"Damn, she's stronger than she looks…" Inuyasha cursed as the water slowly faded away.

"Of course I am. I mean, that's what you can except from an elemental warrior…"

"Elemental warrior?" Kura pondered aloud as she turned to look at her father.

"I've never met someone like you," Inuyasha stated, not once lifting his gaze from the female warrior. "Who are you and why are you here?"

"Well, I don't normally tell others my identity but in this case I'll make an exception. My name is Nekura, the last standing elemental warrior you will ever lay eyes upon…" She then quickly withdrew her samurai sword from its sheath, held it in front of her and took a fighting pose.

"Wait a minute," Kura intervened. "What do you mean by 'last standing'? Do you not have a family…or friends?"

Nekura tilted her head downwards so that her bangs were covering her eyes from sight. Kura then noticed a few teardrops falling from her once noticeable icy blue eyes. "I don't want to talk about it…" she sobbed while trying to maintain her tough exterior. Kura looked at her almost as if she was about to shed her own tears.

"I…I'm sorry. I didn't know…" Kura looked down at her feet, mentally beating herself up for asking such a stupid question.

Nekura looked up and shook her head, trying to attempt a small smile in the least, but found it near impossible. "It's not your fault. You were just curious, that's all."

"Yah and curiosity killed the cat…"

"Don't say that!" Kura looked to find the source of the voice and soon realized that it was her father. She looked at him confused.

"What are you talking about?" she questioned, oblivious to what he meant.

"What do you mean, 'What are you talking about?'? You know exactly what I mean!" Inuyasha then lowered his voice, walked over to his daughter and placed his hands on her shoulders. "You know I don't want to lose you so don't talk like that. You mean just as much to me as your mother did. I love you Kura and I hope you never leave me…" At the moment, Inuyasha nearly broke out into tears but stopped himself.

"Dad I…" Kura hesitated for a moment before continuing. She then placed her own hands on her father's shoulders. "You won't lose me because I'm hard to lose. I'll always be your little girl…forever." She then smiled and hoped for one in return. Although, she didn't have to do much hoping for as soon as Inuyasha heard those words come from her mouth, he almost instantly burst out into a small smile.

Nekura looked at them both and smirked shyly. Well, I guess I better leave you two alone…" Just as she started walking away, Kura called out to her. She turned around as soon as she heard the familiar female voice.

"Why don't you stay with us? We could always use the extra company, right dad?" Inuyasha simply nodded. "Then it's settled! What do you say?"

Nekura paused for a moment. "Sure…if it's all right. I mean, I don't want to be a burden on you two…"

"Oh don't worry, you won't be! I bet Sango and Miroku won't mind either."

"Who?" Nekura asked.

"You'll find out about them later. Now what do you say we head back to the village now?" Kura suggested.

"Sure, let's go," Nekura replied, showing off a happy smile. The trio then walked back to the village together, or at least Kura and Nekura did. Inuyasha walked ahead of both girls, his arms folded across his chest as usual.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another section of the Feudal Era, most often referred to as the abandoned area, a shadowy, mysterious figure stood in the center of a crowd of trees.

"So the young girl has joined that wretched half-demon and his daughter, has she? Well, we'll just see about that…" the figure smirked evilly. "Once they face the wrath of my pure-blooded wolf demons, they'll be too afraid to challenge me." The apparent male demon looked down at his hands that were covered in fresh, black demon blood. He had just recently slaughtered a countless number of demons and was on the hunt to kill more.

"I may despise being a half-demon myself but it does have its benefits. No one ever suspects a half-demon…" he smiled cockily, showing off his powerful, razor sharp talons. "…and it never fails…"

* * *

_**Mysterious Mistress Kura: **Wow, this was longer on paper. Oh well, it was still a good chapter, right? Please review and tell me what you thought of it. I love hearing your opinions about my work because it encourages me to write more. You guys are my inspiration and I love you all for that! Well, I guess I should get started on writing chapter two. Luv ya all! Ja ne!_


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two: Trouble Comes A Knockin'**

When Kura, Nekura and Inuyasha returned to the village, Miroku ran up to them. The hanyou only glared at the monk, wondering just what he was up to.

"Why hello Kura," he spoke lovingly, taking her hand in his. Kura only blushed a light shade of rose.

"Just what do you think you're doing monk?" Inuyasha demanded, sending another deathly glare his way.

Miroku grinned. "I'm only being friendly Inuyasha. But I must say, your daughter has grown into a very beautiful young woman…" This comment made Kura's cheeks redden even more and made Inuyasha angrier. He stormed over to the monk, grabbed him by the collar and continued to stare him directly in the eye.

"Don't **_ever _**touch her again! Understand monk?"

Miroku simply closed his eyes and shrugged. "Calm down Inuyasha. I was merely complimenting your wonderful daughter, that's all."

"Yah well, don't ever do it again!"

Kura then stepped away from Miroku and calmly approached her father. "Dad, it's all right. I'm not interested in anyone right now. Besides, it's not like he was serious…were you Miroku?" Inuyasha let Miroku down, not so gently, but refused to take his eyes off of him.

Miroku was silent for a moment before he managed to reply. "Of course not. Like I said before, I was simply being polite. After all, she is a lady and ladies deserve the utmost respect." Inuyasha scoffed at this comment.

"Heh, that's a load of lies coming from you monk."

"You think so?" Miroku cocked one of his eyebrows and smirked.

"Actually I do. Let's go Kura," Inuyasha instructed as Kura followed him to their hut. Nekura trailed closely behind, seeing as how Inuyasha had never once called her by name.

Kura looked behind her. "Nekura? Why don't you come up here with us?"

Nekura shook her head. "Nah, I'm fine. After all, your father never did tell me to come along. I just assumed that since he mentioned your name, he meant me as well…"

"Of course he means you too. Don't worry; my dad can sometimes be like that. It's nothing against you, it's just something he has against all strangers," Kura explained simply.

"I see…" Nekura then walked up to her new friend and continued on with their conversation about Inuyasha. Kura still had a lot of convincing to do in order to inform Nekura that her father isn't as bad as he makes himself out to be.

"We're here. Hurry up already!" Inuyasha shouted impatiently.

"Yes father, we're coming, we're coming…" Kura let out an exhausting sigh and then turned back to Nekura with a half smile plastered across her face. "He really can be quite sweet and caring when he wants to be," Kura added with a small chuckle. Nekura couldn't help but laugh a little as well.

Just then, a sudden gust of wind picked up, causing everyone's suspicions to rise. Kura turned around and prepared herself for the worst. Nekura did the same; she pulled out her samurai sword and held it in a battle stance. Inuyasha, on the other hand, jumped in front of both girls with his Tetsusaiga held out in front of him.

"Leave this to me. Kura, lead Nekura back to the hut and remain there until I tell you the coast is clear," Inuyasha instructed.

"But dad…" Kura protested but was cut off in mid-sentence.

"No buts, just go!" the half-demon demanded sharply as both girls did as they were told. Once he made sure that they were safely out of sight, he turned his sights on the forest ahead of him. "Show yourself demon!" Nothing. There was no rustle from the bushes, no swaying of the trees and no demonic, unexpected growling. No sound could be heard for miles and it was starting to make Inuyasha grow weary. He shifted his eyes around sneakily, hoping to come across something completely out of the ordinary.

"Heh, heh, heh…" a voice cackled from behind some trees.

"What? Who's there?" the hanyou spoke fiercely.

The voice, or whatever it was remained hidden in the shadows. "You will find out who I am when the time draws near. For now, why don't you have fun with my playful young wolf pups…" It was obvious that there was sarcasm etched into the apparent male's voice.

"Show me what you've got!" Inuyasha exclaimed, ready to strike at any moment.

"Very well…" With those words, what looked to be about ten wolf demons came out from behind various trees and began to crowd in on the half-demon. Inuyasha took a fighting stance and prepared to run head on into the horde of demons.

"Let's get this started!" Inuyasha exclaimed as he started to literally "slice and dice" everything in his path. The wolves never stood a chance. Before they even had a chance to attack, they were almost instantly split in half and laid to a permanent rest. Their corpses were spread out all around Inuyasha's feet, smelling horrible and waiting to rot.

"That was a little too easy…" Inuyasha muttered under his breath as he prepared himself for something unexpected to happen. Nothing. The area around him was dead quiet…perhaps even too quiet. He carefully placed his sword back into its sheath and turned around in the direction of the village. He noticed Kura and Nekura peeking out of the side of the hut. "It's safe to come out now," he stated assuringly as both girls stepped out into the light of the sun.

"What was that all about?" Kura inquired, walking up to her father. Inuyasha looked down at his daughter whose eyes were sparkling with curiosity.

"I have no idea but whoever sent those demons is after something…I just don't know what…"

"Me neither but I have a sneaking suspicion that they're after us…" Kura responded suggestively, looking over at Nekura who was now approaching her friend.

"It very well could be. Evil can't hide its face forever. Sooner or later, humans, as well as demons, will come looking to kill us. We'll have to be on our guard when that time comes," the young warrior stated matter-of-factly. Both half-demons nodded in response as they all headed back to the hut for some well-deserved rest and ramen, Inuyasha's favourite meal. Of course, seeing as how Kura is his daughter, she had also developed a liking for the well-known, well-loved Japanese noodle dish. As all three sat around a warm, cozy fire with their delicious meal in hand, Sango and Miroku came from around the back of the hut and sat down next to them. They each took a small bowl of ramen and began to eat. The silence around them was so peaceful and harmonizing…but who knows how long that will last?


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three: A Dangerous Reunion**

Later on in the afternoon, everyone sat relaxing by the river, with the exception of Inuyasha who was currently in the middle of training. He had to sharpen and shape up his fighting skills and techniques if he was going to even have a shot at taking down this new and most-likely formidable demon.

Kura looked over to her father and inwardly sighed. She still couldn't get over the fact that he was acting so overly protective of both Nekura and herself. Was it because he had lost women in the past? He had already lost her mother in the long fought battle with Naraku and Kikyo had been submerged into the depths of Hell, or so she had been told. He had told her many times that he would always protect her no matter what the cost or circumstances. She loved him dearly for that and showed her gratitude each and every day of her life. She then noticed that Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kilala and Nekura were all staring at her with curious faces.

"Is something wrong Kura?" Sango inquired.

Kura shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong, really. I'm fine. I was just thinking about stuff, that's all…" Her words then began to trail off so that eventually nobody except herself could understand them. This caused concern to rise amongst everyone.

"Are you sure? I mean, if something's bothering you, you can tell us. We're here for you Kura and we're not about to leave you anytime soon," Sango stated assuringly. Kura only looked up at her with a saddened expression plastered across her face.

"Just don't worry about me, all right? I'll be okay. I just need some time to reflect on my thoughts, that's all. I have so many things running through my mind right now it's giving me a headache," the half-demon moaned groggily as she bent down and splashed some of the cold water from the river onto her face. "That feels better," she added, shaking her head to rid both her face and bangs of all the access water droplets. She then stood up and headed over towards where her father was still training.

"I'm worried…" Nekura softly spoke.

"I am too, but it's best to leave her be for a while. After all, she is Inuyasha's daughter and has inevitably inherited his attitude as well as his stubbornness," Sango added as Miroku nodded in agreement. Nekura only looked at them and then turned her gaze to where Kura was currently heading. She seemed somewhat depressed but was doing an awfully good job of hiding it.

Suddenly, just as Kura managed to approach Inuyasha's side, an unexpected gust of wind, or should I say a tornado came blowing in from the east. The minute the twister subsided, Inuyasha wasn't too pleased to see who it was that had appeared. Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Nekura and Kilala all watched the figure intently as the debris flying around their heads finally fell to the ground.

"Koga…" Inuyasha muttered under his breath.

The wolf-demon smirked. "Well, well…it's been a long time, hasn't it mutt face?" That comment made Inuyasha nearly boil over in anger. Kura just looked at Koga in confusion and then back at her father with the same expression.

"Who's he?" Kura asked inquisitively.

Inuyasha replied with only a grumble. Sango decided to take this time to answer Kura's question, seeing as Inuyasha wasn't exactly **_in the mood _**to do it himself.

"That's Koga, the wolf-demon. He's one of your father's biggest rivals and they're **_always _**fighting, even in the midst of an important battle…" Sango heaved a heavy sigh before continuing. "I swear, it's almost impossible to get them to co-operate. It's like telling cats and dogs not to fight…it's never going to happen…" Kura sighed and looked back over to the two demons that looked like they were about ready to kill each other.

"So mutt, where's Kagome?" Inuyasha tightly clenched his teeth as he hesitated a reply. Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kura all looked at each other sadly. They knew what was coming and only hoped that Koga wouldn't say anything to offend Inuyasha. He had been through enough already and didn't need people ragging on him for something that he couldn't reverse.

"She's…gone…" Inuyasha murmured almost inaudibly under his breath.

"What do you mean she's **_gone_**?" Koga asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"I MEAN SHE'S GONE DAMMIT!" Inuyasha shouted angrily.

Koga's eyes widened in shock. "You mean you **_killed _**her?"

By now Inuyasha was ready to snap…more so. "I DIDN'T KILL HER!" He then lowered his voice to almost a mere whisper. "It was Naraku…he killed her. I couldn't stop him. I tried, but it was no use. He kidnapped Kagome and told me that if I didn't hand over the Tetsusaiga to him then Kagome would die. I didn't want to hand over my father's sword, but at the same time I didn't want Kagome to suffer. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. What was I to do? I couldn't attack, I felt like I couldn't move…I just felt so useless. He killed Kagome when he took my silence as a "no" to handing over the Tetsusaiga…" Inuyasha felt his knees start to shake but practically forced himself to remain standing. He wasn't about to give Koga the satisfaction in thinking that he was dog in more ways than one.

"So you failed to save her, is that it? Stupid mutt. You obviously weren't destined to be with her if you can't even do something as simple as rescuing her. What's more important, the Tetsusaiga or Kagome's safety? I personally would of picked option B, but that's just me. You obviously only care about your stupid sword and nothing else. Pathetic dog…" Koga scoffed. Inuyasha simply lowered his head without saying so much as another word. Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Nekura all looked at the half-demon with worry etched onto their faces. Kura, however, looked the most worrisome out of the whole group. She slowly approached her father as she extended her right hand to place it gently on his shoulder. The minute he felt that gesture, he pulled back and looked at his daughter firmly yet still slightly depressive.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that…please forgive me…" were his final words before he ran off into the forest. As soon as he disappeared out of sight, Kura turned to Koga looking angrier than she had ever been in her entire life.

"You bastard…" she cursed. "Why do you have to be such a jerk? I meet you for the first time and this is the way you act? Now I see why my father despises you. You're nothing more than an arrogant, self-centered, cowardly wolf pup. I just hope that one day my father sends you running home with your tail between your legs," the young demon girl smirked.

"You think so, do ya? Well it just so happens that I have actually saved your motherquite a few times, with no help from your father, that is…"

"So? I know that my father loved my mother dearly and would do anything for her. My father has told me all about the things that had happened when she was still alive. She was a very brave and courageous woman and I hope to someday grow up to be just like her. So why don't you take your foolish nonsense and tell it to somebody that actually cares? I'm leaving and I suggest that you do as well, otherwise, if you're still here when I get back, you won't be left in one piece when I get through with ya…"

Koga didn't look frightened in the least. "Whatever," and with that, Koga headed back in the direction of the wolf-demon tribe's den.

Kura turned to the others. "I'll be back. I'm going to see how my father's holding up. I didn't trust the way he was acting when he left and I'm afraid he might try something drastic. I already lost my mother and I don't need to lose him too…he's all I have left… " she sobbed silently.

Sango placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "I understand. Go and find your father. We'll stay in the village and wait for you."

Kura attempted a small smile. "Thanks. I'll see you later." With that, she jumped up into a high tree and began jumping from branch to branch in search of Inuyasha. She wouldn't rest until she found him…and a way to cheer him up…


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four: Love Can Heal All**

As Kura hurried through the forest, thickened with what seemed like a hundred of trees, she couldn't spot her father anywhere.

_He couldn't of gone too far… _As she continued to search the grounds below her, she eventually came across a silvery-haired demon sitting by the river's edge just staring off into the distance at nothing in particular. Kura smirked as she jumped down and landed gracefully next to her father. "I knew I'd find you sooner or later…"

Without lifting his head to meet his daughter's gaze, Inuyasha managed to let a few words slip from his mouth. "Why did you come?" he asked softly, yet solemnly. Kura only looked at him curiously.

"What do you mean, 'Why did I come?' I came because I was worried about you. After the things Koga said to you about Kagome, I figured that you wouldn't exactly take it lightly. I just didn't want you doing anything rash, that's all. I'm only concerned with your well being, just as you are with me," the female half-demon explained. As Inuyasha continued to stare out overtop of the river in front of him, a subtle breeze suddenly picked up and his silver locks began to blow sideways in the wind. He then looked up at his daughter, his eyes looking as though they had lost all emotion.

"I don't care about what Koga said. In fact, I could give two shits about him. That mangy wolf doesn't even know half of what happened during the battle with Naraku so he doesn't have a right to say anything about it…"

"But then why do you seem so upset if Koga never managed to get under your skin about that whole ordeal?" Kura inquired.

"Because…because it just made me think that I could have done more to protect Kagome. If I did, she would probably still be alive right now, standing next to the both of us with a smile written across that beautiful face…" He then began to trail off as Kura lowered her head.

"She is still with us…"

"What are you talking about? Of course she's not still with us, she's dead…" Inuyasha corrected depressively.

"True, she may be dead **_physically_**, but **_spiritually _**she'll always be with us…" she stated assuringly, trying to put a smile, or at least a smirk on her father's face.

The hanyou lowered his head so that Kura was no longer in his sights. "But if that's true, then why do I feel so horrible? Why do I feel like she's not here with me? I just want her to help me, to break all my falls, to continue loving me, even in the afterlife. Why can't I feel that love…why?" he demanded, pounding his fist against the hard ground. Kura placed her hand over his back and started rubbing it in a comforting motion, trying to soothe all of his inner pain…the worst kind of pain any human being or demon can endure…

"It's okay… I know you miss her, as do I. But knowing that she's always there and watching over the both of us gives me strength. It gives me the power to fight on, even in the most desperate and hopeless situations I never give up because I know that she would never allow the enemy to have that satisfaction. I never go down without a fight…that's just not my style and you know that," Kura said with a wink, even though Inuyasha couldn't see it. "So please cheer up father. Mother would hate to see you like this as I do…" She then noticed that Inuyasha's head moved slightly and in a mere couple of seconds, she was able to see his once vibrant, golden eyes, which were now slightly cold and emotionless.

"You okay?" Kura inquired, looking into her father's blank orbs with curiosity.

Inuyasha nodded his head slowly. "Yah, I'm fine…" He then let a small smile grace his lips as his now vivacious orbs looked into his daughter's own bright amber ones. "Thank you…" he managed, clearing his throat.

"Not a problem," Kura grinned. "Anything for you. You are my father after all…"

The smile on Inuyasha's façade widened slightly as he heaved himself up off the ground. "Well I guess it's time we head back to the village, what do you say?"

"Good idea. I'm sure the others are wondering where we are."

Inuyasha grunted as Kura gave him an odd glance. "I'm not looking forward to seeing the monk again. Rotten bastard," he cursed as he heard a small giggle escape the girl's mouth. "What so funny?" he asked while raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Kura placed a hand over her mouth so as to hide the laughter that was trying to break out. She removed it for a moment so that she could speak. "You just don't like it when he hits on me. I think someone needs to control his temper…" she replied mockingly as Inuyasha sent a glare her way. She merely shrugged it off.

"I **_do not _**need to control my temper!" Inuyasha practically shouted, obviously proving his daughter's point.

"Oh, really?" She immediately raised an eyebrow at this. "You don't need to control your temper, huh? Then why is it that every time Miroku hits on a girl, including myself, your anger takes over and you can't control yourself? Hm? Tell me that." Kura knew that her questions were only annoying her father. She loved pestering him. It always helped lighten the mood in a serious situation and it was fun.

"Shut up…" Inuyasha said with a grin. Just then, an idea struck him. He loved getting in on the jokes Kura played with him and this idea was going to torment her all the way back to the village…at least he hoped so. "…or I'll tell Kiatsu that you like him…as more than a friend." That statement made Kura's cheeks redden with a huge amount of embarrassment.

"You wouldn't dare…" The half-demon girl narrowed her eyes into tiny slits as she spoke.

"You think I wouldn't?" Inuyasha then started to walk off in the direction of the village, slowly but surely, looking back at Kura every few steps. She looked kind of ticked off and partly upset, but Inuyasha knew full well that that was just her way of making people immediately stop what they're doing and ask what's wrong. It would be then that she would take advantage of the situation and run away, leaving them behind in the dust, urging them to chase after her. She loved this game, but not as much as she loved teasing her father with it. As soon as she noticed that Inuyasha had stopped dead in his tracks, she jolted forward and ran past him at top speed, yelling…

"COME AND CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!" Inuyasha smirked and ran after his daughter, not being at a much slower pace than what she was running. Each time he managed to catch up with her, she would automatically sprint ahead, making him run even faster than before. He finally managed to catch her when they had just made it to the outskirts of the village. He tackled her to the ground and began tickling her non-stop.

"Dad! Stop! It tickles!" she shouted through numerous fits of giggles. He stopped after a few minutes, figuring that she had had enough torture for now. However, what he didn't know was that Kura was planning her own little scheme to get back at her father…

When they eventually arrived back at the campsite where Sango, Miroku, Nekura, Shippo and Kilala were still settled, Kura ran up to them, waving her hand excitedly.

"Hey guys!" Kura exclaimed, much more cheerfully than she had been before she left.

"Hey girl, you seem a lot more happier," Nekura replied, stating the obvious.

"Yep, that's because my father and I had a little bit of…**_fun _**coming back here…" She smirked when she mentioned the word **_fun_**.

Nekura raised an eyebrow. "I see…"

"Yep, and I got something planned for him too…as payback for tickling me…" She sent a deathly glare towards Inuyasha's when saying that. The half-demon only looked her with a, 'You deserved it,' kind of look. "He's got what's coming to him…" Kura grinned evilly and then went into the tent for a well-needed rest. No one knew what her plan to torture Inuyasha was but they would eventually find out soon enough…


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five: Meeting Father's Old Enemy, Isamu**

The following day, when everyone was still fast asleep, with the exception of Kura, she slowly approached her sleeping father, careful not to disturb him. She grimaced evilly as she reached her hand out to touch the Tetsusaiga. The moment she grasped the sword, she picked it up and strolled out of the hut acting as though nothing had happened. She headed towards the forest, hoping that her father would soon awaken and prepared herself for a loud and deafening scream to come from Inuyasha's mouth. As she walked through the crowded forest, she began to giggle, wondering just how her father would react to her practical joke.

_I bet anything that he's going to scream bloody murder, just as I'm predicting… _she thought to herself, still holding the large sword over her shoulder, seeing as how she had no sheath to carry it in. For a moment she thought of swiping the sheath along with the Tetsusaiga, but then figured that it would make the joke more worthwhile if she only took the sword. The smile, which was still plastered across her face, remained as she soon disappeared into the mass amounts of green.

* * *

Meanwhile, the half-wolf was hiding in a nearby cave, contemplating his first attack and who the unlucky victim would be.

"Master…" a deep voice echoed from within the shadows.

"What is it?" the wolf demanded, questioning himself as to why one of his comrades was speaking out of line.

The pureblooded wolf demon stepped out of the darkness to reveal himself. "I just wanted to inform you that the half-breed's daughter has been spotted in the area…"

"What?" The half-demon seemed rather shocked by this news.

"Yes, that is true. She has also been seen carrying around her father's legendary sword, Tetsusaiga."

"Interesting. I shall check it out. In the meantime, remain here. If we are to be attacked, I need at least a few of you to stand guard and protect our hideout. Understand?"

"Yes master…" The wolf bowed his head as if to say that he understood. With that all said, the half-demon was already on his way out of the cave and eventually disappeared around the corner, heading to where Kura was last seen.

* * *

With Kura, she had decided to stop at a nearby river for a rest. The sword was starting to become much heavier and she couldn't bear to keep it rested upon her shoulders for much longer. The moment she went to sit down, she literally almost dropped the sword down beside her, thankful to remove the unnecessary weight that had been constantly forcing itself down on her. She then cupped her hands, placed them in the fresh, cool water and splashed it all over her face.

"That feels good," she spoke aloud, shaking all of the access water droplets out of her hair. Just then, her ears started to twitch as she heard a rustle come from one of the nearby bushes. She narrowed her eyes slightly and looked around, trying to spot the source of the unexpected noise. Nothing. She then stood up and walked over to the nearest bush, hoping to find a clue as to just what was going on. The moment she came a mere inch from the bush, something, she couldn't see what, jumped out at her, startling her and causing her to stumble backwards. Luckily she managed to catch herself before she almost landed on the rock solid ground.

"What the hell?" When she looked up, she was able to get a better view as to who was standing in front of her. "Who are you?" she asked, or more so demanded with a slight growl.

A smirk almost instantly found its way onto the apparent demon's face. "Who am I? That's funny because I thought that you would already know who I am…"

"Just what are you talking about? I've never seen you before in my life!" Kura barked loudly.

"But your father has…"

That was when Kura's eyes went immediately wide with curiosity. "My father? But…how?"

"Simple. I just so happen to be a natural born enemy of Inuyasha's father, and am now **_your _**father's most hated foe. I have yet to be killed by either of them, which just proves my superiority over them…"

"Shut up!" Kura practically shouted. "Just shut up! I don't need this! My father is strong and always has been, just like his own father! Inuyasha is the strongest half-demon I know and there's nothing you can say or do that will make me change my mind!"

"Is that so? Well, by the way you're acting, I'd say that my words have already got to you…" He smirked demonically as he spoke these simple words.

"Whatever. I don't care about what you say. Now why don't you leave me alone and go bother someone else?" Kura then turned her back to the demon and was about to walk away…

"Okay, then I guess I'll just have to go and find your friends and **_bother _**them…"

"You wouldn't dare…" Kura eyes narrowed once again as she turned around to face the wolf now standing in front of her. She looked right pissed off, as if she was ready to kill. "If you lay even one finger on them, I swear to the Gods that I will hunt you down and kill you…"

"Oh really? And why should I be scared of someone that has always acted like **_daddy's little girl _**in the most dangerous situations? Hm? Tell me that." The wolf knew that this would only anger the female, yet that was his whole objective.

"I am **_not _**a daddy's girl," she hissed. "I fight just as well as my father as he knows it. He's only concerned for my safety, that's all. But I don't blame him. He has already lost my mother and that was heart-breaking enough. I couldn't bear the thought of how he would react to losing me…" Her eyes then began to slowly fill with tears, yet she still managed to keep her serious appearance in tact.

"Oh spare me the waterworks, will ya? Just because your father is afraid of losing someone else close to him does not mean that you have to run and hide during every battle that comes your way. I mean, how are you going to learn to defend yourself when your father is no longer around? You won't, that's the problem."

Kura started to grit her teeth as she spoke. "I **_don't _**always run and hide. I'm a skilled fighter and I know that, as well as all of my other friends, especially my father. So don't go saying things that don't concern you. Keep your thoughts and opinions to yourself. Got it?"

The demon wolf raised an eyebrow in response. "Heh. Just who are you to tell me what I can and can't do? Hm?"

"I'm only telling you this because I don't want my friends to be put in danger. They haven't did anything to you and neither have I. Okay, so you and my father have had your little spats, but that still doesn't give you the right to take out your anger on me or my friends," Kura replied sternly.

The demon scoffed. "Well I guess I should be off then. If you don't want any harm to come to your little friends than I guess I'll just leave well enough alone…for now. I'll be back later to take care of you…and your father…" and with that, the demon headed back into the forest, but not before stopping dead in his tracks after a few steps. "By the way, the name's Isamu…" He then ran off through the trees, not once looking back at the young demon girl. Once she noticed that he was safely out of sight, she heaved a heavy sigh and decided to return to the village. After all, Inuyasha and the others were probably up by now and her father was most likely in a panic as to where the Tetsusaiga was. She knew that she would be facing harsh consequences for her actions, but it was well worth it. She wanted to pay him back for tickling her and she had accomplished the perfect prank…


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six: A Prank Gone Bad**

The moment Kura set foot into the village after returning from her little excursion into the forest, the only sounds that she could hear were loud curses, obviously coming from her father.

"Sounds like he knows…" Kura thought aloud as she started over towards their campsite, the Tetsusaiga still slung over her shoulder. Upon closer examination, she noticed Sango, Miroku, Nekura, Shippo and Kilala all standing around the silvery-haired half-demon who looked as though he was ready to kill. The minute she got closer, she placed a hand on Sango's shoulder, startling the young demon slayer.

"Hey," she spoke softly.

The older woman turned around to stare into the demon girl's wide and curious amber eyes. "Oh Kura, it's you."

"Yah, it's me. What's up with him?" she asked, pointing in her father's direction, making it sound as though she had no idea what was going on. She smirked inwardly; he was taking this better than she had expected.

Sango heaved a rather heavy sigh. "Well, when we all woke up this morning, the first thing he realized was that his Tetsusaiga was gone. We don't know for sure if it was stolen but…" Her words then began to trail off as she shifted her gaze to Kura's right shoulder. "Hey, what's that?" she asked curiously, pointing to the extremely large sword. It was still fully transformed, due to the fact that she did not have to sheath with her to transform it back.

Kura's eyes widened as she stepped back. "What? This?" She pulled the sword off of her shoulder and dug it lightly into the ground, holding it firmly. She was glad to get that excess weight off of her shoulders.

"Yah, that looks an awful lot like…"

"THE TETSUSAIGA!" Inuyasha yelled as he ran up to his daughter, plucking the sword right out of the ground and Kura's hands. "Where did you find it?" he asked questioningly.

"I…um…well…" she stuttered, trying to figure out exactly what to say in this situation.

"Well? Who stole it?"

"It was…uh…" She sighed lightly before continuing. "It was me," she confessed as everyone's eyes went wide with shock.

"You? But why?" Inuyasha inquired, now placing the sword back into its sheath.

Kura looked down at her feet and then back up to her father. "I…I was just playing a joke. You know, to get you back for the little tickling incident you and I had the other day. Oh and before I forget, I also wanted to pay you back for threatening to tell Kiatsu I liked him as more than a friend. That was going too far and you very well know it."

"Yah well, those still aren't reasonable explanations for why you decided to take the Tetsusaiga," Inuyasha argued.

"It was the only thing I could think of to do at the time," Kura replied honestly. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, looking as if he didn't believe a word of what she had said.

"Well just don't do it again," he scoffed while walking away back towards the hut. As soon as he vanished out of sight, Sango and the others turned their attention to Kura looking quite curious.

Sango was the first one to speak up. "I do agree with Inuyasha to some degree, how you shouldn't have taken the Tetsusaiga as part of your prank, but I do give you kudos to being able to swipe it without him noticing. That must have taken a lot of time and effort."

"Nah, he was just asleep," Kura answered truthfully, forming her lips into a small smile as a tiny giggle managed to escape them. Everyone couldn't help but let out a laugh themselves. It was then that they heard a noise from within the hut and noticed Inuyasha's head appear outside it.

"I heard that!" he practically shouted, withdrawing himself back inside once again. The group covered their mouths and continuing laughing quietly so as though not to be heard again by the ill-tempered hanyou. Then they all walked over to the hut that Inuyasha had disappeared into and sat around the burning pit of flames. The fire had been lit mid-morning, it now being sometime in the early afternoon, and not died down once. For what seemed like hours, the group, excluding Inuyasha who still persisted in shutting himself away from everyone, continued to talk up a storm, occasionally looking around to be sure that everything in the village was as it should be. Even though Naraku and the Band of Seven were gone, you could never be too careful. New enemies always seemed to appear out of nowhere and Kura's story about her encounter with the wolf demon proved this point. They needed to be on their guard at all times if they were going to survive any sneak attacks by unwanted foes…

* * *

Later on in the evening, when the sun had just set behind the far-off, distant mountains, Kura emerged from the hut and examined the surroundings, making absolute sure that the coast was clear. As she approached the opening to the forest with extreme caution, a blur of green whizzed past her face at what seemed like light speed.

_What the – _Her thoughts were interrupted as a figure, apparently female, appeared only a mere ten feet away from her. Unable to determine whether or not the stranger was good or evil, she readied herself for the worst. Positioning herself into a fighting stance and bearing her claws, she looked directly into the girl's forest green eyes and spoke in a soft yet somewhat threatening voice.

"What do you want?"

The girl smirked. "It's not the question of, 'What do **_I _**want?' it's more along the lines of what do you think you're doing trying to enter **_my _**part of the forest?"

Kura straightened up and withdrew her claws. "What do you mean, '**_Your_** part of the forest'?"

"That's right. I live here and you happen to be trespassing on private property…"

"Private property? The forest belongs to everyone, not just you! So why don't you just step aside because I've got somewhere to be!"

"Step aside? Tch. Last time I did that the results were catastrophic. Almost the entire forest was in ruins and I had to care for and nurture everything until it was back to the way it was. It wasn't easy, let me tell you…"

"I'm not saying it would have been. But listen, if you just let me by, I promise I won't cause any harm to the forest. I'm not the type to do that. I may be a demon, or half-demon to be more precise, but I would never even think of inflicting damage to anything or anyone unless they deserve it…" This statement immediately brought back the memory of when Kura had the encounter with the wolf-demon, Isamu. She knew he was up to something and was planning on going to investigate. All she needed to do was find his hideout, which shouldn't be too hard seeing as how she was part dog-demon and could sniff out his scent. The only problem was trying to convince this girl to let her pass.

"But how do I know that I can trust you?" As she spoke, Kura began looking her over from top to bottom and noticed that light green wings erupted from her back like a fairy. She also carried a long green sword in her right hand, obviously used for combat, although she looked nothing of the fighting type. But Kura was not fooled by her appearance. Even though she didn't look like a natural born fighter, the half-demon assumed that if it was necessary she could probably fight almost as well as herself.

"Well, I may not be able to prove to you that **_I_** can be trusted, but there's someone in there that most definitely can't and I have to find them. I met them the other day and they're after my friends and my father. I need to get through otherwise they'll all be in danger. I can't let that happen. So please, if you may, let me pass. I need to find him…"

The girl stood in silence for a moment before replying. "All right. You may pass. But if I suspect anything out of the ordinary, you will **_never _**be allowed in this part of the forest again. Understand?" Kura nodded and brushed past her, eager to find the one who had threatened her life as well as her friends…especially her father…

"Thank you."

"You are welcome." The fairy girl flew up to the lowest branch of a nearby tree and sat down. "By the way, in case you were wondering, my name's Hannah, guardian of Inuyasha's Forest."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name's Kura, daughter of Inuyasha." It was then that Hannah felt a cold chill run down her spine, yet she merely shook off that feeling. Her gaze wandered up to the night sky as the stars began to slowly appear one by one. Kura looked back for a few seconds before turning her head back around and continuing on her way. She didn't know if she could trust this new girl or if she was someone to be weary of. All she knew was that she had to find Isamu and stop him before he could lay even one finger on her friends…


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven: Second Encounter And Isamu's Plan**

As Kura continued wandering throughout the forest in search of the one she most despised, nothing could be heard except the distant sounds of nature and her own footsteps and she treaded across the forest floor.

"Where could he be? He's got to be somewhere around here, I just know it…" She made sure to keep her head up at all times in order to prepare herself for any sneak attacks that he might throw at her.

As she walked on, everything seemed to grow extremely quiet…so quiet that you could probably hear a pin drop… Kura's suspicions, however, grew immensely as silence erupted all around her. She knew that this meant someone was closing in on her and fast…yet she was prepared for the worst. She set herself into a fighting stance and shifted her eyes all around, making sure that everything was as it should be. Well, it seemed to be that way…for a while… It was then that she heard a rustle come from a nearby bush behind her. She quickly spun around and withdrew her claws, ready to strike. The minute she blinked, a blur of black emerged from the brush and landed directly in front of her, a mere ten feet away. Kura knew who he was from the moment he revealed himself and was prepared for a fight.

"Isamu…" she growled.

"Yes, it's me. So, have you really been wandering the forest all this time just to find me?" The half-wolf was clad in pure black; his ensemble was vaguely familiar to that of Koga's.

Kura flexed her hand. "What do you think?"

The wolf put on a fake smile. "Awww, really? I can't believe you came all this way just to see me. How sweet." Kura knew this voice all too well. Most males used it, especially when trying to win her over. They would act all sweet and caring in the beginning and then when she least expected it, they would turn the tables and reveal their true selves. Isamu had already shown her his true colors the first time they met so this time she wasn't going to be fooled by some lamebrain attempt to act all goody-goody.

The hanyou scoffed. "Pft, yah, sweet. I don't think so. I came here to fight you and that's what I plan to do. I don't want you to harm my friends and this is the only way I can stop you from doing so. So get ready 'cause this fight will be your last!" she exclaimed, jumping a few feet back so that there was plenty of room between the two demons.

"As you wish. But if you lose, your friends will pay the ultimate price!" He then let out a loud and annoying laugh to which Kura had to cover her ears in order to drown it out. The minute his laughing ceased, he charged forwards and prepared to strike. Kura, on the other hand was bored by this tactic, since she had seen it done at least one hundred times, if not more. She jumped up and over the wolf and landed in the spot where Isamu once stood.

"Pathetic. If you want to defeat me, you're going to have to do better than that!" With that, Kura dashed up to the half-wolf and slashed his right arm numerous times, leaving assorted cuts on every inch of skin. Blood was slowly dripping onto the dirt-covered ground. He clutched his wounded limb by the elbow and snarled at Kura. Making sure to keep her distance, she jumped back a few more feet and stared back at him.

"You'll regret that, half-breed," he panted. Still holding his arm, he ran at Kura and aimed a right-kick directly at her stomach. Before she even had the chance to dodge it, the attack collided with her body and caused her to go flying back a couple of feet. She landed on her back with a loud _thud! _and struggled to pull herself up. When she managed to sit upright, she saw Isamu looking at her rather strangely. She didn't think much of it at first; she only figured that he was planning a way to finish her off. Well, that certainly wasn't going to happen. She never gave up a fight, even in the toughest of situations.

"I think you're the one that's going to have some regrets…" The female than placed her hands firmly on the ground and pushed herself up into a standing position, not once losing eye contact with that of her opponent. She then broke out into a run, heading straight for Isamu. Once close enough, she stretched out her arm and slashed his already wounded arm clean off. The wolf stumbled backwards clutching his shoulder as blood started pouring out from the wound. Kura managed a double back flip and landed gracefully on the ground at least ten feet away.

"You just made your final mistake…" Isamu growled as he ran off past Kura and into the brush, leaving a trail of thick, black demon blood behind him as he went. Kura turned around and watched him vanish from sight.

"I wonder where he's…" Kura then paused in mid-sentence for a brief moment until something hit her. "Oh no! Dad! And the others! He's heading towards the village! I've got to go and warn them!" Since Isamu was already ahead of her, Kura decided to take a shortcut, which would lead her back to the village before the wolf. She had taken that path many of times and it never failed her. Sure it was a little rougher than the longer way but at least it got her from point a to point b. As she ran off, still a little weak from the fight, all she could think about was what would happen if Isamu managed to get to the village before her. Would he kill her father and her friends? Would he kidnap them and use them as bait to lure her in? She would soon know in a matter of minutes…and if her luck had run out…

* * *

_**Mysterious Mistress Kura: **Yes, I know. This was a short chapter but I needed to leave you all with a cliffhanger. It leaves a perfect opening for the next chapter. So until next time! Luv ya all! Ja ne!_


	9. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight: Stolen!**

As Kura hurried through the forest as fast as her legs could carry her, the only thoughts repeatedly running through her mind were those of constant worry. What if Isamu was already in the village and reeking havoc? Would her friends be safe or would they be in grave danger? The more she thought about it, the more worried she became. She decided to stop thinking so negatively and to just focus on the present circumstances, which was simply getting to the village.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Inuyasha and the rest of the gang slept rather peacefully in their hut, they were completely unaware that someone had just entered the village…someone who was potentially dangerous to their lives…

Isamu crept around silently until he stumbled across the particularly large hut. He stepped inside, trying to avoid making unwanted noises. He looked around, only to notice that the girls, Sango and Nekura, along with Kilala and Shippo were lying on one side of the shelter and the males, Miroku and Inuyasha were sleeping on the other side. Even though Miroku and Sango were currently dating, she still did not trust him enough to keep his hands to himself. Then again, who **_would_** trust a lecherous monk that used to constantly hit on other women, and occasionally younger girls and ask them to **_bear his children_**? Not many women would, and if they did, it would take an awfully long time to ensure their loyalty.

Inuyasha stirred slightly and Isamu breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that the half-demon had not yet awoken. He then turned his attention to Nekura and Sango who were sleeping ever so peacefully. However, he was not concerned with the females themselves; what he really wanted was the weapons they possessed: Sango's Hiraikotsu and Nekura's samurai sword. However, he was also quite interested in Miroku's staff and Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga. Then again, who wouldn't want such a powerful sword? He looked around at all four individuals once more before thinking his idea over thoroughly. He didn't want to keep all four weapons in his possession in case they were untraceably stolen; he simply only wanted to extract the power from each item and use every last bit of it to forage an ultimately powerful piece of weaponry. So without any more hesitation, he walked silently up to each member of the group and grabbed a hold of their weapon. It was surprisingly easy to snatch up Sango and Nekura's, seeing as how they were both lying in front of their owners. However, acquiring Miroku's staff and Inuyasha's sword wasn't going to be quite as simple. Miroku's staff was placed behind him so Isamu had to slowly and carefully pull it out from its resting place. Inuyasha, on the other hand, had the Tetsusaiga encased tightly in his sheath because of the incident that happened with Kura. He was now taking extra precautions so that he would not end up losing it a second time. As the wolf demon tried to come up with a flawless plan to obtain the Tetsusaiga, nothing came to mind…that is until he thought of something. He placed his hands firmly on the handle of the sword and started to pull. With some effort, the sword came out, fully transformed and rather heavy for the half demon. This was because he had not fought with the Tetsusaiga before, let alone touch it. Then, once he made sure that he had obtained all of the weapons, he proceeded to exit the hut and walked away in the opposite direction that he had come from. What he didn't know, however, was that Kura was hot on his tail. She was almost in the village and ready to do whatever was necessary…as long as it meant banishing him from the village…or quite possibly killing him if the need for it arose. The only times that Kura would even think of killing a demon or a human was if they caused massive damage to a sacred place or shrine or inflicted serious pain, whether it be physical or emotional, to one or all of her friends. She could never, and still can't bare the thought of seeing a friend lying on the ground, unconscious or possibly dying. It was just too much to handle for a young half demon such as herself…

Once she arrived in the village, she looked around, only to find that nothing or no one could be seen. The place was deserted. When she walked into the hut, the first thing that she noticed was that her father's Tetsusaiga was removed from its sheath. She didn't know how this was possible. Who would risk stealing the Tetsusaiga right under its owner's own nose when there's a good possibility that he could of woken up? Someone who is very brave, that's all she could think of. It was then that something struck her mind: Isamu. He must have taken the sword for some unknown purpose. Did he simply want it for his own personal benefit? No, that would be too predictable. He must need it for something of relative importance…but what could it be? She didn't want to think of that now. Right now, her first priority was to wake up her father and tell him the bad news. She didn't know how he was going to take it but figured there would be a lot of curse words coming from his mouth. She prepared herself for the worst as she shook him awake.

"Dad… Dad, wake up…" she spoke rather softly, nudging his shoulder with her right hand. Inuyasha groaned but did not even make the slightest attempt to wake up. She shook him a little harder, hoping that he would awaken and ask her what the problem was. Well, she got her wish a few seconds later, for Inuyasha started to stir and his eyes eventually fluttered open. He looked into his daughter's worrisome amber orbs and looked confused.

"What's wrong?" he asked curiously, tilting his head to one side. Kura looked down at the sheath and then back up to her father. The first time she tried to speak, her words failed her. When she opened her mouth, nothing came out. She then took a deep breath and prepared to try again. This time, she was successful.

"Well…um…do you feel any lighter?" She knew this was a stupid question to ask but it was the only one she could think of at the time.

"What do you mean, 'Do I feel any lighter?'" Inuyasha inquired, wondering just what she was getting at.

"I mean, do you feel any lighter? As if you're missing something important…" This only confused the hanyou even more. He couldn't understand what Kura was trying to get at and every time he thought about it, it only made his head hurt.

"I still don't follow you…"

Kura sighed. "Look at your sheath…" she stated simply. The half-demon did so and nearly flipped with what he saw.

"MY TETSUSAIGA! IT'S GONE!" he exclaimed standing up and causing such a racket that it caused everyone else to wake up, slowly but surely. They all rubbed their eyes and looked as though they were going to kill whoever or whatever woke them up.

"What's going on?" Nekura asked groggily. "I was having the best dream. I was fighting…"

"NO TIME NOW!"

"What?" Nekura looked at Inuyasha strangely, as if wondering what had caused him to act this way.

"TETSUSAIGA'S BEEN STOLEN! I HAVE TO FIND IT! NOW!" He then ran out of the hut and out of sight.

"What's he talking about? How can the Tetsusaiga be missing?" Sango inquired, staring curiously at Kura.

"Well, I have suspicions that someone managed to sneak in here and steal father's sword…and I think I know who it was…" At that particular moment, everyone's eyes shot wide open with extreme curiousity.

"Who is it that you suspect?" Miroku questioned, standing up and reaching for his staff. However, because it was not there, it was impossible. "What the -? Where's my staff? Don't tell me it got stolen too! But how? I was leaning against it the whole time. No one could of taken it without waking me up…"

"Maybe they were just too sneaky. They did manage to get a hold of Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga after all…and it was placed safely in its sheath…" Nekura stated, matter-of-factly. "Anyone who is able to swipe the Tetsusaiga out from under Inuyasha's nose is definitely brave…and devious…"

"Oh no, they're an idiot…"

"What are you talking about? Who is it?" Sango asked, rephrasing the question that Miroku had asked only about a minute or so ago.

"Isamu…"

"Who?"

"Isamu. He's a wolf demon, or to be more precise, half-demon. He wants nothing more than to kill me…and since I won't let him, he decides that he's going to take everything out on the ones I care about most…"

"That bastard. How can he even think about sinking so low?" Nekura swore.

"Just like you said, he really is a bastard. I can't wait until I see him next because when I do, I'm going to be ready," Kura replied, standing perfectly tall with a serious expression plastered across her face. Everyone knew that when she got that look, she was ready for action and you were best to stay out of her way.

"We'll all be rea…" But before Nekura could finish her statement, she glimpsed down in front of her and noticed that her sword was gone. "Dammit! My sword's gone! Now I'm really pissed!" she shouted angrily, looking as though things couldn't get any worse. But unfortunately, they did…

"No! My Hiraikotsu has been stolen! How on earth did Isamu, or whatever his name is, manage to steal all four weapons? It just doesn't make sense…"

"He's sly, I'll give him that. But if hedoesn't give me back my damn samurai sword, we won't be calling him sly anymore…" Nekura added, threateningly.

"Yes, we know perfectly well what you're capable of. After all, you were the one that my father fought earlier, when you first joined our team and I was there to watch," the female demon informed.

"I know, which is exactly why you shouldn't be surprised when you see what I'm going to do to him…"

"Well, if you really want to get back at him, I suggest less talking and more focusing on how we're going to find him. Where do you think an idiotic wolf demon would go with four powerful weapons?" Kura pondered aloud.

It was then that an idea struck Nekura's mind. "Totosai!" she exclaimed.

Kura smiled. "That's it! I bet you anything he went to see Totosai in order to get him to forge a new weapon out of the four!"

"WHAT? I'LL KILL HIM!" Nekura roared loudly.

"Okay, calm down and let's head out. The sooner we can find Totosai, the better," Kura suggested, walking out of the hut. The minute she did so, she saw Inuyasha waiting by the fire pit. "Hey dad, what are you doing?"

"Nothing. So, going to go see Totosai, eh?" The male demon raised an eyebrow as he spoke.

"Yes. Sango, Nekura, Miroku and I are all going to try and find Isamu…"

"Isamu?"

"I'll explain later. C'mon guys, let's go!" And with that, before Inuyasha managed to get out another word, Sango, Miroku and Nekura emerged from the hut and soon enough, the group of four were gone in an instant.


	10. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine: No Title**

On their way to find Totosai, Kura decided that it would be much easier, not to mention quicker, to sniff out his scent; after all, she **_was _**part dog demon.

"Are you sure we'll be able to find him?" Sango inquired, turning to Miroku and Nekura.

"With Kura, I'm sure it will be no trouble at all," Nekura smirked as Sango returned the emotional gesture.

Kura then stood up with a satisfied smirk plastered across her face. "I got a hold of his scent and if my instincts are correct, which they usually are, he's somewhere over there." As she spoke, she pointed her finger in the northwest direction.

"Well then let's get going; the faster we move, the faster we'll be able to find Totosai and that bastard wolf," Nekura cursed as she broke off into a run. The others followed suit.

* * *

Meanwhile, Isamu was still on his way to see Totosai when a seemingly large pack of wild dog demons leapt out from the bushes and surrounded him from every side. The hanyou merely smirked.

"Heh, you think you have what it takes to challenge me?" he boasted with a quick yet noticeable arch of his left eyebrow.

The largest dog, which, upon closer examination appeared to be the leader of the pack snarled. "You are the wolf demon, Isamu, are you not?" he asked, baring his fangs.

"And what if I am?" Isamu answered with another question.

The dog did not once lose eye contact with that of the wolf. "Then we must destroy you on the order of our master!" he exclaimed.

"Try me…" Isamu stood in his typical fighting stance and prepared for the worst; although it seemed like a complete waste of time fighting useless dog demons when he could be doing something more productive, like getting Totosai to forage him the weapon that he forever longed to hold. Yet as he had learned so many times before, you can't have everything your way…you just have to go with the flow…

"Hey wolf!" one of the middle-sized dogs yelled, breaking him away from his thoughts. Isamu sighed. Why was it that they wanted to bring about their death so soon? Maybe they actually thought that they could win. Ha! Now that was a laugh…

"You're really eager to lose, aren't you?" It then seemed as though the half-demon's smirk grew into an even larger smile. However, this wasn't any ordinary smile, in fact, this smile seemed to have the slightest bit of evil lurking within its depths. He licked his lips. If there was one thing he liked better than winning, it was the fresh taste of an enemy's blood once they were no longer alive for it to be any use…

"No, I'm just really eager to watch you fools squirm and plead at my mercy…" he stated cockily, flexing his claws.

"Oh, really? Well then, why don't you show us what you're made of tough guy?"

"With pleasure…" he smirked and then, one by one, began ripping apart the wolves, tearing them limb from limb. Soon enough, there was only he and the elder of the pack left standing.

"Heh," the elder chuckled to himself. "You think that just because you've defeated my comrades you can defeat me?"

"Tch. I don't think, I know. Now prepare to die!" he exclaimed, jumping up and withdrawing his claws one final time. Upon nearing his target, he smiled wickedly and lunged his entire hand into the elder's chest causing blood to spurt out everywhere. When he pulled back, the dog demon stumbled forward a few steps and eventually collapsed face-first onto the ground, blood spilling out from his body in every direction. Isamu knew right then and there that he was dead. No one could take a blow like that and survive; it just wasn't possible…at least, that's what he thought. What he didn't know was that he would soon experience a battle like he had never fought before… He shook his head, trying to rid his mind of all the thoughts that were now bombarding it. He couldn't think like that; he knew that there was no one in the world that could take him down and he would continue thinking like that until someone proved him wrong, which he hoped would never happen. So as he walked on towards his destination, all he could think about was what the future held and whether or not his goals would be achieved in time…

* * *

"Kura! Are you sure Totosai is somewhere around here? I don't see any sign of him so far!" Sango yelled to her friend who was currently in the lead of the foursome with Nekura.

"Yes, I'm sure of it! He's got to be here! My nose is never wrong!" The female half-demon than stopped in mid-run and began sniffing the air. Everyone else had stopped dead in their tracks when they realized that their friend was no longer at the front of group, but now at the back. She turned to everyone, a serious expression plastered across the whole of her face. "I smell trouble…"

"What kind of trouble?" Nekura asked, curious as to just what was going on. She was the type of person who knew that trouble always lead to something or someone getting hurt. _It's not going to be that way this time, _she thought, _not when there are people I care about at stake…_

"It smells like dead demons…and by the scent, I'd say they were just recently slaughtered…" Kura growled under her breath; if there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was the killing of innocent demons. She always believed that those who slaughtered harmless creatures should indeed be slaughtered themselves. Her father had always told her that she had inherited her mother's kindness and it most definitely showed. Her mother, Kagome Higurashi was a gentle and caring soul, always finding the good in others; that was Kura in a nutshell. However, the young demon child had also inherited her father's courageousness and most of all, his stubbornness. She didn't like being told what to do and would always do what she felt necessary. This could sometimes get her into trouble, but she knew that her father would always come to her aid. This, however, was one of those times that she would have to fend for herself. She only had her friends to protect her, but in a time of need, she may not even have them to lean on for support. She still needed to learn that, in battle, the only person you have is yourself; you can't trust anyone else, especially when it comes down to a matter of life and death…

"Uh, Kura?" Nekura spoke, waving her hand in front of her friend's face, snapping her back to reality.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to zone out like that. I'm just thinking, that's all…"

"Thinking about what?" Nekura questioned curiously.

Kura was silent for a few moments before she managed to utter an answer. "Uh…nothing in particular," she lied. Nekura arched an eyebrow at this statement, to which Kura knew that her friend was indeed onto her little cover-up story. "What?" she added, shrugging her shoulders. "It's true. Now, what do you say we continue looking for Totosai and that mangy wolf?"

The elemental was not about to take her eyes off of her friend for a minute. She knew that something was going on in her mind and she wanted to get to the bottom of it. Most of the humans and demons that she had met knew that she was not one to give up, especially when it came to her friends and allies. She would soon find out what Kura was hiding and whether or not it was something that was worth keeping a secret…

"Hey guys! Look over there!" Sango exclaimed, pointing straight ahead. As everyone turned their heads to look, they were shocked and surprised to see just who was standing before them: it was Totosai. The entire group was so relieved that they had finally found him; they ran up to him and, upon closer inspection, realized that he was not alone. Myoga the flea was sitting atop his right shoulder, jumping up and down, apparently excited to see the foursome.

"Sango! Miroku! What a pleasure to see you again!" he exclaimed joyously. He then turned to where Kura and Nekura were standing and pondered. It was then that something must have came to him, for he began jumping up and down again. "You must be Kura, Master Inuyasha's daughter!"

Kura blushed. "Yes, yes I am. It's a pleasure to meet you Myoga. My father has told me so much about you."

"Really? Did he tell you what a brave soul I am?" Myoga asked, trying to flex the muscles that he did not have.

"No, not really. He just told me that you're a coward who flees from every battle," she stated honestly as Myoga fell over, straight as a board. Everyone nearly burst out laughing but managed to hold it in. The flea than stood up again and puffed himself up.

"Ha! Master Inuyasha only **_thinks _**I was fleeing, but in reality I was simply planning a way to take his enemy down!" he boasted gloriously. Everyone sighed as a sweat drop rolled down the side of each one of their faces.

Kura arched an eyebrow. "Really now? For some reason, I find that awfully hard to believe…"

"It's true!" Myoga cried, bouncing up and down on the tiny balls of his feet. Kura simply sighed and then turned to look at Totosai.

"I'm glad to finally meet you," she greeted curtly. "However, there is something I must ask of you…"

"Yes, what is it?"

"I would like to ask you whether or not you have a met a wolf by the name of Isamu. He was planning on coming to ask a favour of you and I was curious as to if he has come or not," she explained simply.

"Hm…" Holding his chin, Totosai began thinking for what seemed like hours on end. Finally, getting impatient, Kura spoke up again.

"So? Have you?" she asked, hoping for the answer that she so longed to hear.

"Hm…" he pondered. "Not that I'm aware of, no." Kura sighed heavily with relief.

"Thank the Gods! That was the answer I was hoping for. Thank you Totosai. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a bone to pick with someone…and I think I know where he is…" Before she was able to head off into the distance and out of sight, Nekura approached the half-demon and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You're going to find Isamu, is that right?"

"Yes. I can't let him harm you guys. He's after not only my father, but me as well. I have to fight, if not for me than for all of you. You guys have stuck by me through thick and thin and I'm not going to let some stupid, arrogant wolf take you away from me. There's just no way I'm going to let that happen…"

Nekura bowed her head and removed her hand, resting it against her side. She then looked up into her friend's sparkling amber orbs and spoke. "I'm coming with you…"

"W-what?" Kura was taken aback by this sudden remark.

"I'm coming with you," the elemental repeated. "There's no way I'm going to let you have all the glory of taking down that mangy wolf by yourself," she smirked. Kura returned the emotional gesture and then turned to Sango and Miroku.

"You guys coming too?" she asked.

The couple looked at each other, nodded their heads in unison and smiled.

"Sure. I wouldn't mind helping to take him down," Sango put in.

"Of course. Besides, we're the only ones that know about him and are capable of taking him down, right?" Miroku added. Everyone nodded in agreement and, in the blink of eye, Kilala transformed and they all hoped onto her back. Totosai and Myoga waved them off as they all flew off into the distance, prepared to face whatever destiny had in store for them…

* * *

_**Mysterious Mistress Kura: **Sorry to end the chapter here but I figured that it would make a perfect opening for the next one. So stay tuned for the next chapter of **I'll Always Be Your Little Girl**! Luv ya all! Ja ne!_


	11. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten: Encounter – Part One**

While flying through the air and soaring above the many treetops below, the foursome still had no luck of finding the half-wolf demon anywhere; it was like he had disappeared into thin air or something. It was then that Kura spoke up, breaking the silence.

"By the looks of things, we're not going to have anymore luck searching for him from the skies. I'd say it would be best to land and track him on foot," the young hanyou suggested. Everyone turned to her with curious eyes and then nodded.

"We might as well. It's the only other plan we've got," Nekura added solemnly.

"Well then, let's get going," Sango put in and before they all knew it, Kilala had already changed course and was now heading deep into the Forest of Inuyasha. As soon as they landed, everyone jumped off of the cat demon's back and decided that it would be more efficient if they all split up and went in different directions. They had also agreed that if they were to run into danger that they were unable to face, they were to meet back at the tree that Kikyo had once pinned Inuyasha to fifty years ago. Kura knew all about that story, seeing as how her mother and father used to tell it to her over and over again when she was just a young pup. After hearing that story so many times, she had begun to develop a certain dislike for the priestess; then again, could you blame her? The woman pinned her father to a sacred tree for fifty years and the only reason he managed to break free of the curse was because her mother had pulled the arrow out that was lodged in his body. That was her favourite part of the story and she would always ask her parents to repeat it over and over again. But now that she was older, she didn't need her father to tell her that story anymore; in fact, she would even tell to him on some occasions.

"Kura?" Once again, Nekura's voice managed to snap the half-demon girl back to reality.

"Huh? Oh Nekura, what is it?" she asked.

Nekura arched a suspicious eyebrow. "Nothing really, I just wanted to know whether or not you wanted me to come along with you or if you prefer to go alone…"

"Thanks but no thanks. If I find Isamu, I want to fight him by myself. I don't want anyone to help, not even my father. I need to prove to myself that I can fight solo, without needing any back-up support from anyone…"

"Okay, but if you find yourself in trouble, don't hesitate to come and find me; you know that I'll always be here for you, right?" Nekura placed a hand on Kura's shoulder as she tilted her head slightly to the right.

"Of course I know that. Don't worry, if I need the help, I will come and find you. That's a promise that I'm willing to keep." Both girls than shook hands in agreement and headed off towards completely opposite paths. Sango and Miroku, on the other hand, decided to go together, even though it was more Miroku's idea, which we all know why he would have suggested that. They had barely walked twenty steps when…

_**SLAP!**_

"Lecherous monk…" Sango murmured to herself and continued walking, leaving Miroku laying on the ground behind, a handprint etched onto the side of his face. As soon as he noticed that his wife had left him **_in the dirt_**, he picked himself up and hurried to catch up to her. As soon as he was walking alongside her again, the demon slayer glared over at him with a look that made him shiver in fear. He knew right then and there that if he tried her patience once more time, he would find himself not only with a few broken bones, but also in need of dire emergency care. He wasn't about to risk his health…at least not yet…

* * *

As Kura trailed on, she had become wearier of everything around her. It seemed as though she couldn't trust anything or anyone for fear that evil could be lurking anywhere. Suddenly, she heard a rustle coming from a nearby bush and almost jumped back in shock. However, she managed to remain calm and took a few steps towards the leafy green plant. She outstretched her right arm, prepared to pull back the leaves and find out just who or what was spying on her. Could it possibly be Isamu out searching for her again? If it were him, she would be ready for anything that he might try and pull. She wasn't going to let him get away this time; she couldn't put her friends in danger a second time, it just wasn't going to happen. She would retrieve all the weapons that he had stolen and defeat him once and for all, without the help of her father or her friends. Just like she had kept telling herself over and over again, this was her battle and hers alone.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't daddy's little girl?" the shadowy figure mocked, now coming into clear focus, which only proved that Kura's instincts were indeed correct.

The female hanyou growled lowly. "Isamu…"

"Of course. Who else would it be?" he smirked.

Kura snorted. "I don't know. Who else has no life and wastes his time trying to defeat a young girl and her father over and over again? Why don't you just give up already? You know that it's useless to try and defeat me, let alone my father, so why don't you be a good little wolf and run along home?" she taunted, motioning for him to do just that.

"Not until I get what I want!" the wolf snarled.

"Oh, and what might that be?"

"You!" Isamu then leapt forward in an attempt to grab a hold of the girl; unfortunately, the half dog demon was too quick. She saw his plan coming from a mile away and jumped up and out of the way, landing in a rather tall tree. She turned to look at the wolf that was now muttering a few inaudible words to himself. She mentally laughed and stuck her tongue out at him; this gesture only made the male even more eager to capture her.

"Don't think that you've won yet, girl! I'll have you soon enough and when I do, you'll become my mate!" Kura shuddered at that thought. Fighting this guy was bad enough but to mate with him? That was simply preposterous and there was just no way in the seven hells she was going to do that. Besides, if Isamu tried to do anything to that nature, Inuyasha would be the first one to have his head. She smirked, hoping that that day would come soon…after she had had **_her _**fun of course.

"In your dreams!" Kura shouted back.

Isamu smiled, showing off his pearly white fangs and ran off into the distance. Kura sighed and then jumped down from the branch she was currently perched on and landed gracefully on the ground below. She looked around and examined her surroundings, making sure that Isamu was nowhere in sight. Once she realized that the coast was clear, she headed off in a different direction, hoping to find a place to reflect on her thoughts…


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven: Encounter – Part Two**

As Nekura continued searching for the one whom Kura wished to find and defeat, all she could think about was if her newfound friend would be all right on her own. Sure, she **_was _**the daughter of Inuyasha and had proved her strength on numerous occasions, but this was different; this was a fight like none before and she would have to be prepared for the worst.

"I can't bare to lose anyone else," she muttered to herself, holding back the tears that threatened to fall. It was true; ever since her family and friends were murdered by a band of thieves and merciless demons, she hated watching people suffer…especially when those people were so close to her… But she managed to stay strong through all the tough times she had had and kept her head held high; that was what made a brave warrior and Nekura was definitely classified into that category.

The elemental shook her head, trying to tell herself that everything was going to be all right and that Kura could take proper care of herself no matter what the circumstances. She then continued on her way, hoping to come across the one that she longed to meet. She wanted to teach him a lesson for stealing not only her weapon but her friends' as well. She wasn't the type of person to let any sort of crime go unpunished, that was a given…

* * *

Meanwhile, Kura had a found a place to sit and relax, a place where she could reflect on everything that had happened that day. She knew that Isamu would come back; he wasn't gone forever, as much as she hoped he was. He was like a boomerang; he just keeps coming back no matter what you tell or do to him. She stared blankly into the water, which was currently soaking her bare feet. What was she to do now? Was she to just sit around and wait for him to show up? She shook her head, knowing only full well that that option was completely out of the question. She couldn't just sit around and do nothing. What if he was planning to attack one of her friends in order to grab her attention? She would never know if she stayed put and didn't move from the spot that she currently inhabited.

Standing up, arms placed firmly at her sides, she kept a straight face and held her head high. "I've got to go looking for him. The only way I'm going to be able to stop him once and for all is if I actually go out and look for him myself. I'll find him and make him pay for everything that he's done to not only me, but to all my friends and most importantly, my father. I want to defeat him to prove to my father that I'm just as strong as he is. It will make him proud of me and that's what I truly want…" After the last few words escaped the hanyou girl's mouth, she leapt up into one of the tallest trees and began jumping from tree branch to tree branch in search of the wolf that had wronged her for what she hoped was the last time…

* * *

Back in the village…

"Master Inuyasha!" a squeaky voice exclaimed, jumping onto the half-demon's shoulder while trying to get his attention.

"Hm?" Inuyasha looked to where he saw a flea-sized demon perched atop his shoulder blade. "Myoga? What are you doing here?" he questioned curiously.

"I've come to warn you about something!"

"Oh, and what is that?" The hanyou raised an eyebrow as he spoke.

"Your daughter is planning to fight the demon that stole your Tetsusaiga!" Myoga shouted, bouncing up and down. It was then, at that very moment that Inuyasha's golden yellow orbs became almost as wide as saucers. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Kura was planning on fighting a demon alone? What if she wasn't strong enough? True, he did have faith in his daughter but when it came to situations such as this one, his parental instincts would kick in and he would usually fall into the pit of worry. He didn't know this so-called **_demon_**, nor had he seen him but one thing was for sure, he had to find Kura and convince her not to fight. It wasn't going to be easy, seeing as how she had inherited his stubbornness, making it even harder for him to persuade her not to do what she so longed for. However, he was her father and he believed that whatever he would say to her, she would have to obey. Unfortunately for Inuyasha, this is not always the case, as he will soon find out…

"Master?"

The hanyou practically jerked his head up after hearing Myoga's voice. "I'm going to go find her," he muttered under his breath so that it was rather difficult for Myoga to hear just what he was saying.

"What?"

"I said I'm going to go find Kura!" Inuyasha shouted as he ran off into the forest, Myoga trailing far behind him.

"Wait master! I'm coming too!" he huffed. "Master!" The flea demon quickened his pace so that he could get closer to the hanyou who looked like he was running faster than the speed of light. If there was anyone in the whole Feudal Era that could run as fast as him, it would most definitely be Kura, seeing as how she was his daughter…

* * *

In another part of the forest, Kura was still searching for Isamu, hoping to find him and make him pay for everything that he had done. So far, she had had no luck.

_Where could he be? _The half-demon played with that question over and over again in her mind as she tried to come up with a reasonable answer. He could be anywhere by now and yet she had no clue. What if he had already found her friends and had kidnapped them, holding them as bait so that she would come and save them? No, she wasn't going to fall into his trap. She had a feeling that her friends were all right, which relieved some of the stress off of her shoulders. She then closed her eyes and opened her mind to anything and anyone around her, hoping to sense the wolf's presence. A gentle wind soon picked up as the hanyou girl's ears began to twitch; it was then that she knew someone was coming. She opened her eyes and stood in a fighting stance, prepared for whatever the demon, or so her instincts told her, may throw at her. The leaves started to rustle, breaking the silence and a shadowy figure leapt into the air and landed gracefully on the forest floor. Kura immediately recognized the shape of the demon and narrowed her eyes in disgust.

"Heh, back again are we?" Kura stated with a mocking tone to her voice.

The wolf smirked as his physical features came into view. "Of course. I just can't say goodbye to such a pretty face," was his seemingly pleasant comeback. However, this did not fool Kura; she knew what he was really like and he couldn't hide his true identity…at least not from her anyway…

"Pft! I may be pretty, but there's no way in the seven hells I'll become your mate so don't even think about it!" Kura argued, making absolute sure that she got her point across.

Isamu scoffed and raised a single eyebrow. "You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?"

"Tch, I don't think, I know," she stated confidently, assuring herself.

"Well then, if you think you're so smart, why don't you tell me what you think my next move is going to be? Hm?"

Kura was in a tight spot now. She couldn't lie, seeing as how Isamu would know if she was telling the truth or not and she couldn't not say anything for fear of what he might do to her. What was she to do?

"Well? Aren't you going to answer my question? The time is ticking by ever so quickly so you better hurry up…"

"Hold on a minute! I'm thinking!" the girl demanded of the wolf. It wasn't really a lie; she **_was _**thinking about something, just not about what he had asked of her. She was thinking about what to do and if the decision she made would be the right one. She then opened her mouth to speak. "I…" But before she could finish what she was about to say, Isamu began to close in on her and before she knew what was happening, she felt as though she had been whisked off her feet and was now soaring through mid-air. When she finally came to, she realized that Isamu had her clutched in his right arm and was carrying her off to some unknown location.

"What are you…?" The hanyou was then silenced when Isamu pressed two fingers against her lips as a way of telling her to quiet down. Mentally, she refused to obey a mangy wolf such as he, but in reality knew that she was in no position to argue.

"Be quiet, we're almost there," the wolf pointed out silently. Seeing as how she could not speak, Kura wondered just where **_there _**really was. Was he taking her to some place that her friends would never find her? She highly doubted that; if her father's nose was as good as it used to be, he could sniff her out in the blink of an eye; there was definitely no hiding from Inuyasha, that one was for sure.

As soon as Kura felt her feet touch solid ground, she looked around to examine her surroundings and found that nothing was familiar to her. It was as if she had journeyed to a far-off place…or to an unknown part of the Feudal Era. Either theory made sense if you thought about it enough, but all the half-demon girl really wanted to do was to get out and find her friends. Unfortunately, that was not an option.

"Welcome to my humble abode," the wolf greeted somewhat pleasantly.

"Um, just why did you bring me here?" Kura questioned, placing her hands firmly on her hips as if to make herself look intimidating.

"Why my dear, you of all people should know what you're doing here…" Kura then gave him a rather strange look as if to say, "**_Get to the point_**." "I brought you here so that I could make you my mate," he concluded. Kura then nearly fell over backwards as her eyes shot wide open.

"W-what?" she spluttered. "I thought I told you that I wasn't going to become your mate!"

"Yes, indeed you did. But ever since we last saw each other, I just couldn't stop thinking about you. Unfortunately, you seemed to not feel the same way. I had to fix that problem and I knew just how to do it…"

"By kidnapping me and holding me hostage?" Kura exclaimed.

"No, no, no, that's not it at all. I brought you here so that you could see just what you'd gain by marrying me," he smirked.

"Forget it! I'm not marrying you! My heart belongs to someone else so just **_let me go_**!" It was then that Isamu took a few steps backwards. He hung his head, defeated. Her heart belongs to someone else? Just who was this **_someone_**? Were they some kind of a threat to his existence? He didn't know, but one thing he did know was that he couldn't waste his time pondering about who this guy was that the hanyou girl loved so dearly. He had to go out, find him…and rid the earth of him… He knew that Kura would not think too highly of him then, but right now he was willing to do anything for the one he loved…

"Don't move!" he demanded. "I'll be back!" and with that, the wolf ran off into the distance, leaving Kura to wonder just where he was going…


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve: Kiatsu's Quest – Part One**

By a small river just outside the boundaries of Lady Kaede's village sat the half-demon pup, Kiatsu. His eyes refused to wander away from the surface of the water as he watched the flow of the tide. He was missing Kura more and more each day and he could not stop thinking about her. He thought about her each day and night, pondering to himself just when she would return to the village. He had met up with Inuyasha earlier that day and asked him where his daughter was. Seeing as how the hanyou was in a hurry when the two met up, his reply was simply, "**_She went to challenge an old enemy of mine. I'm on my way to find her and bring her back so just stay where you are. I don't need two pups gone missing…_**" Kiatsu couldn't believe that Inuyasha acted so caring towards him. Normally he wouldn't say much of anything to the young hanyou except when he and Kura were alone together. The girl's father was always protective of his daughter and would try and make sure that she was under constant supervision. This, however, was not always possible, for the half-demon child didn't like the idea of someone watching her every move. Sometimes she would sneak off into certain parts of the forest with Kiatsu just to get away from all the village folk. Her father wasn't too impressed with this behaviour but finally figured out that he should give his child more responsibility and to stop supervising every move she made. Kiatsu sighed. He missed all of the good times he and Kura had together when they were just young pups. He wished that she would hurry back so that they could be together again…

* * *

Meanwhile, Isamu was still on his way to find the **_one _**that Kura loved so dear. He didn't know where to start looking, or even whom to look for, but when he did find the right person (Or possibly demon) he would be sure to **_eliminate the competition_**.

As he leapt from tree branch to tree branch, he finally came across someone…although he wasn't too sure who that someone really was. It could be the one he was searching for…but what if it wasn't? He didn't want to make a scene when it wasn't necessary. He thought about his possible options over and over again in his mind until he came up with a reasonable, seemingly foolproof solution. He would simply go down and talk to the stranger and ask them if they know anyone by the name of Kura. If they say yes and start talking about her like they knew the girl for a relatively long time, then it would be obvious that they like her in more than just a friendly way. It wasn't much of plan but it was the best he had.

Jumping down from the tree and landing gracefully on the ground below, it appeared that the wolf had startled the stranger. When the apparent male brought his gaze to that of Isamu's, he asked the age-old question of, "**_Who are you?_**"

The half wolf gave a rather simple reply. "My name is Isamu. Who are you?" he asked in return.

The other male, who looked to be half-demon as well, kept his gaze locked onto that of Isamu's and gave his response. "I'm Kiatsu. I just live in a village not too far from here," he explained curtly. "By the look in your eyes, I can see that you came looking for me. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Isamu wondered whether or not he should be upfront with Kiatsu or if he should beat around the bush for a while. He finally came to a conclusion and answered the hanyou's question. "Yes, as a matter of fact, there is something that you can assist me with. I was wondering if you know of a demon girl by the name of Kura…"

Kiatsu's eyes immediately shot wide open the second he heard his friend's name mentioned. "Kura? Yes, I know her. We're best friends; well actually we've been best friends ever since we first met when we were just young pups. We had so much fun together, just the two of us…" As he began to slowly drift away from reality, Isamu smirked.

_That didn't take long at all. I now know the one that Kura is so in love with. Now all I have to do is eliminate him from the game and she will be mine forever… _he thought inwardly, grinning from ear to ear. Luckily for him, Kiatsu didn't notice his evil grimace for he was too entranced in his thoughts to care just what was going on around him. It was then that Isamu decided to break the half-demon out of the trance-like state he was currently in. "So you know Kura, huh?" His voice now sounded even slyer than it had before.

"Yes, what of it?" Kiatsu seemed a little uneasy around the wolf. For some reason, he just didn't trust the demon all too well. It was as if he knew more than the wolf expected him to and was trying to find a way out of the current situation. If there was one thing that he didn't want to do, it was to place Kura in danger. He had known her for so long and they had grown so close that it was almost impossible to separate the two. They had each made a promise to always look out for one another and to also keep themselves from harm as well. As he continued to mentally ponder ways to get away from the wolf, his thoughts were once again interrupted.

Isamu smirked. "Do you know where she is?"

"Her father told me that she went to challenge one of his old rivals…"

The wolf was taken slightly aback in shock; he was surprised that the hanyou knew that much. "Correct you are. She did go out to fight a rival demon...of which she will not return…"

"W-what?" Kiatsu stuttered. "What do you mean, '…of which she will not return…'?"

"Exactly what it sounds like…" With those words, Kiatsu then hung his head, looking depressed and almost about ready to cry. He couldn't believe it. Would Kura really…? No, he couldn't think that way. She would pull through, he just knew it. She had pulled through on many other occasions, so why would this time be any different? He had faith in his friend and knew that she would soon return to him so that they could be happy once more.

"No…" were the words Kiatsu finally managed to utter.

"What?" Isamu was confused and frustrated all at the same time. _Why is this boy's spirit not broken? I sense that he believes there is still a ray of hope left; he still believes that she will return to him, unharmed. Could this be love? _The wolf shook his head, refusing to believe such nonsense. _No, it can't be love. But…what if it is? What if Kura and this boy really do love each other? That would mean that I wouldn't be able to have her all to myself…I'd be alone…forever… I don't want to be alone. I want to have someone by my side, someone who will love me from now until I die. That's it; I now know what I have to do. If I can't have her, no one can. I must get rid of this boy, once and for all… _"You…"

Kiatsu looked up. "What?"

"You are the one…that's ruining my destiny!" he shouted, leaping forward to pounce on the young demon. However, Kiatsu was too quick for the wolf and managed to dodge his attempted attack by jumping into a nearby tree. He sighed with relief and looked down to his foe.

"Just what are you doing?" he demanded fiercely, which was a tone that you didn't often hear coming from the usually passive pup. "What's all this talk about me **_ruining your destiny_**?"

Isamu's eyes than narrowed into tiny slits. "You know exactly what I'm talking about…" he hissed. "I love Kura and I want to be with her…but I can't do that with **_you _**around…"

Kiatsu scratched his head, still vaguely unaware of what the wolf was trying to get at. _He loves Kura? Is that what this whole thing is about? Does he really think that I'm an obstacle in his way of achieving true love? Maybe he thinks that **I **love Kura… No, it's not like that. Kura and I are just friends and that's it. There's nothing going on between us. But…she is kind of pretty and very friendly… Stop! I can't start thinking this way about my friend. _He shook his head, trying to rid the idea of love between Kura and himself from his mind, of which he failed. _Why won't these feelings just go away? I don't need this right now. Right now, the only thing I'm concerned about is finding Kura and bringing her back to the village. After that, we can get back to our lives…once he's gone of course… _The last few words were, of course, directed to the half wolf that was standing before him.

Isamu mimicked a fake cough in order to get Kiatsu's attention. "Ahem…" The black-haired hanyou looked up at the wolf-demon, wondering just what he was going to say next. "I'm ready when you are…" This unexpected statement confused Kiatsu as he raised an eyebrow in question.

"What are you talking about?" he inquired.

Isamu scoffed. "Honestly, have you been sleeping this whole time?" Kiatsu sneered at the half-demon's obvious sarcasm. "Well I guess that's what I get for talking to an inexperienced and unintelligent little puppy…"

Kiatsu gritted his teeth, trying to hold back his anger. "Watch what you say…" he growled lowly.

"Down puppy. You better listen to me unless you want me to get a leash," he mocked. It took all Kiatsu had to not blow up at the half wolf demon. "Now if your ready, I say we get this fight started."

"Fight?"

"For the girl…"

Kiatsu's eyes widened until they were as large as saucers. "For…for Kura? But…"

"Are you scared?" Isamu rose at eyebrow at this.

"No!" Yet as much as he tried to hide his feelings, they would always end up slipping out at the most unexpected times…like when he was angry, for example. "I just…" He couldn't say it. He wanted so badly to admit his true feelings about Kura, but he just couldn't say what was on his mind in front of Isamu. What would happen if he did? Would he be killed…or worse? He didn't want to think of the consequences; all he wanted to do was get through this fight alive and find his friend. Once he did, he would be the happiest half-demon in the entire Feudal Era. Of course, this was an exaggeration but it just proves his love and loyalty towards Kura…

"Well if you're not scared then let's get this show on the road!" Isamu exclaimed, preparing himself in his own personal battle stance. Kiatsu did the same, hoping that this fight would lead him to victory. He wanted to get through this as quickly as possible; he didn't know what kind of trouble Kura was in so he had to hurry.

Isamu started off the fight as he leapt forward, ready to pounce on top of Kiatsu. However, the hanyou now knew this tactic all too knew and jumped out of the way just in time, causing the wolf to collide face-first into the forest floor.

Isamu growled as he pushed himself up off of the ground. "You'll pay for that…" He quickly dusted himself off and withdrew his claws, ready to strike at any given time.

"Oh will I now? Well I hate to break it to you pal but I was trained by Inuyasha himself so you may have a difficult time defeating me," Kiatsu explained with a smirk plastering his features.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Inuyasha could never defeat me, let alone his father so what chance do you have? Hm?" Isamu waited for the hanyou pup to answer, hoping that he had asked a question that Kiatsu could not answer. Unfortunately for him, Kiatsu did have an answer for him, which he would not like even the slightest bit.

"So what if Inuyasha or his father couldn't defeat you? There's always a first time for everything and as you're probably aware, even the youngest demons **_and _**humans have a chance for success. Besides, I know of many young demons, half-demons in fact, that have taken down a full-grown demon on their own. What do you say to that?" Kiatsu cocked an eyebrow, waiting for a response from the wolf.

Isamu was literally speechless. He didn't know how to respond to what Kiatsu had just said. However, it was then that a thought struck his mind and he knew just what to say as a comeback. "Young demons are pathetic. I've faced many of them in my time and they have never been a challenge for me. You may be an exception to all those youngsters but I will defeat you, even if it takes me longer than I expect. I will rid the world of you and Kura will become my mate for life. But unfortunately, if she loves you, that can't happen…"

Kiatsu was speechless. She…loved him? Was that true? He didn't know for sure, seeing as how the girl had never told him whether or not she had feelings for him. If she did, would they fit together? What if there was something wrong with him and it affected their relationship? He shook his head for like the tenth time that day, trying so hard to reason with himself. He didn't know what to do, nor did he understand everything that was currently running through his head. It was Isamu's cold, disheartened voice that broke the pup out of his current trance.

"There's only one way to settle this matter…DIE!" he shouted loudly and leapt forward as he had done twice before. With his claws withdrawn, he aimed directly for Kiatsu's neck, knowing that that was the usual weak spot for most humans and demons alike. Kiatsu jumped back, just narrowly missing the blow.

"Why you…" Isamu huffed, preparing to launch another attack. This time, he aimed for the young one's left arm, hoping to strike dead center. Unfortunately for Kiatsu, the wolf was successful. Upon piercing the skin, Isamu jumped up, did a single back flip in mid-air and landed gracefully on the ground, only five to ten feet away from where Kiatsu was currently standing. The hanyou clutched his wounded arm and swaggered a little before falling to his knees, blood soaking through his black kimono. When he looked at his hand, he noticed that it was covered in nothing but black demon blood; it was sickening. He struggled to stand up and, when he finally managed his task, he sent one of his most evil glares in the wolf's direction. Isamu only smirked, knowing full well that Kiatsu was too injured to fight. Unfortunately for him, that wasn't the case. Kiatsu kneeled down into a position that looked as though he was ready to fight and did not take his eyes off his foe for a minute. He smirked slyly and then broke off into a fast run. It looked almost impossible, what in his condition and all, but he somehow managed to keep up the pace. He didn't slow down for a moment and when he got close enough to the wolf, he withdrew his claws and slashed at his neck, hoping that that was his weak point. The demon yelped loudly as he placed his hand on his neck to try and stop the bleeding. The gesture was a failure, seeing as how the blood began dripping down his neck and onto his shoulder.

The wolf growled angrily. "You'll regret ever laying a finger on me, half-breed…"

Kiatsu smirked at this comment. "Is that so? Well don't you try and stop me?"

"That's just what I plan to do…" and with that, Isamu leapt up into the air and withdrew his claws, prepared to strike the hanyou head on. He was nearly successful when Kiatsu, seeing right through his plan of attack, jumped up into mid-air and struck him across the chest, piercing but a mere hand width from his heart. The wolf landed back on the ground and stumbled backwards a few steps, clutching his new wound. Blood was indeed dripping from the lesion as it spilled out onto the forest floor. He then fell to his knees in pain.

Kiatsu cocked an eyebrow. "Had enough yet?"

The wolf panted heavily, refusing to give in. "Not by a long shot…" When he tried to stand, the half-demon found the maneuver nearly impossible; he was too badly wounded and needed medical assistance as soon as humanly possible. Kiatsu turned his back and prepared to walk away when something inside him made him stop. At first he tried to ignore the feeling that was pulsating inside of him, but after awhile he just couldn't avoid it anymore. It was telling him to help the wolf, even though he knew that his generosity would more than likely backfire on him. What was he to do? Should he help his fallen foe or walk away and pretend that nothing happened? If he stayed, he would be helping someone in need, but if he left, he would have more time to look for Kura. He was in a predicament and didn't know how to get out of it…

Kiatsu sighed inwardly. "Just a minute…" He walked over towards the demon and knelt down beside him, pulling out a roll of bandages. "Here, this will help," he said while wrapping up the wolf's wounded areas.

Isamu looked at the hanyou pup with curious eyes. "Why are you being so nice to me? I tried to kill you and you're helping me…"

"Blame it on karma," Kiatsu replied while wrapping up the last of the demon wolf's wounds. "There, you should be good to go now."

Isamu stood up and looked down upon the young male. "Uh…" he stuttered, searching for the right words to say. "I…uh…see ya around," he said before running off into the distance. Kiatsu just watched the demon's figure disappear from sight before heading off in a different direction to continue his quest to find Kura. He didn't know how long it would take, but one thing he did know was that he would search forever just to find her…

* * *

_**Mysterious Mistress Kura: **There you have it folks! The ending to chapter twelve! It shouldn't be much of a wait until the next one so you don't have to worry about that. Anyway, I shall stop here and let you all review. I look forward to hearing what you have to say! Luv ya all! Ja ne!_


	14. Chapter Thirteen

_**Mysterious Mistress Kura:** I would like to say a few words before I continue on with this chapter. In case you haven't noticed, I included another OC, besides my own and my friends' of course. Her name is Hannah and she made a brief appearance in one of the earlier chapters. She is a creation of Sapphire Wings 09 from right here on I would just like to make sure that I am keeping her character in character and if I am not, I would like to know if there is anything I could do to change that. Anyway, I think you've all heard enough of my rambling so now it's time to start chapter thirteen!_

**Chapter Thirteen: Kiatsu's Quest – Part Two**

Meanwhile, all the way on the other side of the Feudal Era, Kura was still contemplating where Isamu had run off to in such a hurry. What was he after and did it involve her friends? She knew that he was after them but would he really go so far as to inflict pain and suffering upon them? She hated to think that way and only wished for him to leave them all alone. What had they done to him? She knew that he was only after them as a way to get her to become his mate. She refused to do such a thing, but hated the thought of placing her friends in danger because of her own stubbornness. That was a trait that she had inherited from her father and it would often get her into trouble.

After constantly thinking of ways to get out of the situation she was currently in, she finally gave up and decided to wait until Isamu returned. She didn't know when he would come back, but when he did, she would be sure to give him a piece of her mind. She would make sure that he knew that there was no way in the seven hells that she was going to become his mate; he needed to get that through his thick head. Of course, she had thought about all the consequences of telling the wolf her thoughts about this little predicament and had prepared for that too. If he really wanted her, she would challenge him to a fight. If she won, she was free to go, but if he were victorious, she would agree to become his mate for life. She shuddered at that thought, knowing that her life would literally become a living hell if she had to spend it with him. However, seeing as how her father had trained the young hanyou girl ever since she was very young, she knew that she would have no trouble winning a fight against the wolf. She smirked with satisfaction and waited patiently for the wolf demon to return…

* * *

As Isamu made his way through the forest, he was soon stopped dead in his tracks when a green blur whizzed by his face. He looked around, trying to determine just who or what was watching him.

"Who's there?" he demanded sharply, listening for an answer in return to his question. Unfortunately, there was no response…that is until he heard the rustling of leaves come from behind him and when he turned around, he noticed a young girl standing before his very eyes.

"Just what do you think you're doing here?" she hissed with her hands placed firmly on her hips as if to make herself look intimidating. However, Isamu was not scared in the slightest.

The wolf cocked a curious eyebrow. "Uh, excuse me?"

"Don't give me that look!" she scolded angrily. "You happen to be trespassing on private property! This is my part of the forest and I don't take too kindly on demons who think that they can just go wherever they please!"

"What do you mean by **_your part of the forest_**? This forest belongs to everyone, does it not?" It was then that the girl looked directly into his eyes and gave him the dirtiest of looks.

"Don't get smart with me. I've had to deal with demons like you and it wasn't very pretty. Last time I allowed strange demons into this area of the forest, they destroyed practically everything and I was the one that had to clean up the mess. I'm not going through that again so you'll just have to find another way to get where you're going," she explained curtly.

Isamu scoffed. "Whatever. Just let me pass and I promise that I won't cause any harm to your forest."

"Ha! That's what they all said and what happened? Complete chaos, that's what. No, that's not going to happen again and I'm going to make sure of it."

"Listen. If I haven't inflicted any damage to this forest as of yet, what makes you think I'm going to do it now?" The wolf-demon knew that she would have to believe him now; if she didn't, Kiatsu might get to Kura first and then his chances of making her his mate would be washed down the drain.

"That's what they all say," she said with a sigh. It was then that Isamu began to get even more frustrated with the girl and could no longer hold in his anger.

"That's it! I don't care what you say! I'm getting through this forest and there's nothing that you can do about it!" he exclaimed, thinking that he had won the verbal battle. Unluckily for him, he was all but successful.

"Is that so? Well I think that there **_is _**something I can do about it…" Suddenly, green fairy-like wings erupted slowly out of her back as she withdrew her long sword from the sheath that it was currently encased in. She held the sword in such a way that it looked as though she was ready for battle. "Now, are you going to leave quietly or am I going to have to force you?"

Isamu stood perfectly still and barely even flinched. "Neither," he stated boldly. The girl looked up at him as if to wonder just what kind of plan he had up his sleeve.

"What?" she asked, hoping that what she had heard was not the truth.

"I said neither. I plan on getting past you without starting a fight," he explained simply, closing his eyes.

"And just how are you going to do that?" the fairy-like creature asked with her hands placed firmly on her hips, just as she done only moments before.

"It's simple. I need to get through in order to stop someone that is a terrible threat to this forest. I am not sure if you have met them before but they are very dangerous indeed. I need to stop them before it's too late and the whole forest pays the price for their irresponsibility," the wolf lied through his teeth. He didn't care though; if it meant lying to make it back to Kura on time, then so be it. He would do anything for her…**_anything_**…

The girl raised an eyebrow at this. "Really?"

"Yes," he lied once more.

"So someone, somewhere, is trying to inflict damage upon this forest?"

"That is true. But if you let me pass, I'll be sure to stop them before anything drastic happens," Isamu replied assuringly yet untruthfully nonetheless.

The girl thought his words over for a few minutes before accumulating a response. "Okay, but be warned. If I notice even a single leaf out of place, I'll be on your back faster than you will ever know. Understand?" The wolf nodded as if to show that he understood the meaning of her words. "By the way, if you ever need me, my name is Hannah, guardian of Inuyasha's Forest," she added before watching the wolf nod and vanish out of sight. Once you could no longer see even his shadow, Hannah turned the other way and headed off towards a nearby river to refresh herself after such a long day…

* * *

Back with Kura…

"What's taking him so long?" she asked herself while continuing to pace back and forth. "Where could he have possibly gone in order for him to take this long to return? Now, I'm not complaining or anything but I am wondering just what he is up to…" Her questions were then answered when she heard a tiny cough and when she looked over towards the entrance of the den, she saw Isamu standing before her, looking as though he had just got back from an intense battle.

"What happened to you?" she inquired hesitantly, wondering whether or not it was any of her business.

"Accident," he lied for about the third time that day.

Kura cocked a single eyebrow. By the look on her face, Isamu could tell that she did not believe him in the slightest. "Really?"

"Yes."

"That's funny because your wounds look an awful lot like battle scars…"

Isamu twitched a little, hoping that she would not find out the truth. If she found out that a mere pup had beaten him, what would happen? He could only hope that she wouldn't rub it in his face. Then again, she really didn't seem like the type of girl to do that sort of thing. She seemed like more of the caring, nurturing type…through his eyes, that is.

"Um, excuse me, but are you going to answer me or what?" Kura repeated, slightly annoyed at the fact that he was ignoring her.

Isamu broke away from his thoughts and looked down at her. "Sorry my dear," he apologized, his voice sounding abnormally sweet…almost too sweet…

"Yah, yah, quit the sweet talk Romeo and just answer my question," she cut in sharply.

It was then that an idea popped into the wolf's head. He grimaced evilly, hoping that she would believe what he had to say. "So, you want to know what really happened?"

"Yes, that's why I've been asking you." Kura was now getting even more confused as to why Isamu was delaying stating the reason as to why he was so badly injured.

"Well then, I will tell you. It was Kiatsu…the one that you happen to love so dearly…" Kura's eyes then shot wide open in shock; she wasn't expecting **_his _**name to come up in a conversation between herself and the wolf.

"K-Kiatsu?" she stuttered, puzzled as to if she had heard him right or not.

"That is correct. He challenged me to a fight, of which I could not refuse, seeing as how your safety was on the line…"

"What?" She took a few steps back before continuing to speak. "You guys were fighting…over me?" she questioned, pointing to herself.

"Yes," the wolf responded and then added, "Because we both love you…"

"Both of you…love me?" Kura was still practically speechless as she tried to absorb everything that she had just heard.

"As much I hate to admit it, yes…" The wolf hung his head, as if ashamed to say what he did.

"What do you mean?" Kura asked, now slightly intrigued by everything that he was saying.

"I mean I love you, but Kiatsu loves you as well. I wish to have you all to myself, but that can't happen with him around. I know you have feelings for him so why don't you admit them?" This statement then caused a wide blush to spread across Kura's cheeks, the colour being bright crimson.

_What is he talking about? I don't love Kiatsu, do I? No, that's ridiculous. He's only a friend and nothing more. I can't go thinking like that. Besides, what would father say? He already doesn't like the idea of his own daughter spending a lot of time with her close friend, so how would he react if I told him that I was falling for Kiatsu? No doubt that he would probably flip out and forbid me to date until I was his age, which is long time considering how old he must be… _Kura sighed, trying to find the right words to say to Isamu without hurting his feelings. It was difficult, she knew that much. How could she possibly tell someone that she wasn't interested in them without breaking their heart? It was impossible and there was no way around the truth…

"Listen I…" But before she could continue with what she was about to say, the young half-demon girl was interrupted by someone mimicking a fake cough. When the hanyou and the wolf turned to see just who had arrived, they were both shocked, surprised, and in Kura's case, very grateful.

"Kiatsu!" they both exclaimed in unison.

"Kura! I'm so glad you're okay!" The male heaved a sigh of relief before turning to look at the wolf that was currently standing but a mere few feet away from his friend. "You…"

"We meet again…"


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen: Better Late Than Never**

"We meet again…Kiatsu…" the wolf demon spoke, his tone of voice sounding cold and emotionless, just as it usually did.

"Indeed we do, but this time is going to be different…"

Kura looked at the males who were standing at opposites ends of the den, both shooting evil glares at one another.

"Um, did I miss something?" she asked, tilting her head to one side. It was then that Kiatsu looked over to his friend with sympathetic eyes. She looked back at him with the same look in her own amber orbs, wondering just what he was going to say.

"Actually, you've missed quite a bit. Isamu challenged me to a fight, of which the winner would have you…" The hanyou pup lowered his head, looking depressed and upset with himself for even thinking the way he did. Kura wasn't just some trophy to hand over to the most competent male; she was his friend and deserved the best treatment he could give to her.

Kura looked confused as she shifted her gaze to that of Isamu's. "You lied to me…" she hissed lowly.

The wolf stared down at her as if he didn't know what she was talking about. "What do you mean?" he replied innocently.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about…" she growled.

"Refresh my memory." The truth was, the wolf knew exactly what Kura was talking about but refused to admit it. He couldn't bring himself to tell her that he had lied, especially in front of Kiatsu. If he did, there would be no way in the seven hells that he would have a chance at getting together with her…no way at all…

"You told me that Kiatsu was the one that challenged you…"

"Oh that…"

"Yes, **_that_**…" Just by looking at her, you could tell that Kura was far from pleased with the half wolf.

"Well, you know all about that, now don't you?"

"Yes, thanks to you…" Kiatsu looked at his friend, curiousity evident in his intense crimson orbs. Kura then continued to speak. "You told me all about how both you and Kiatsu love me. Well, I believed that part, but the other part was a complete lie. I know that Kiatsu would never challenge someone to a fight over something as simple as love; he has such a kind and caring soul and I know that he would never be able to hurt anyone, even if it is you…" Kiatsu stared wide-eyed at the silvery-haired hanyou, practically speechless and not knowing how to respond to such a beautiful statement.

"Kura…" was the only word that he finally managed to say.

Isamu scoffed. "Heh, just because you think that, doesn't mean your friend will remain that way forever. Everyone changes, humans and demons alike, whether we like it or not. There are times when we change for the better and there are times when we change for the worst. You may think that Kiatsu never wanted to fight, but to me he seemed very eager to defeat me…" Kura then looked up to where Kiatsu was standing, tears clearly forming in her eyes.

"You're wrong," she mumbled under her breath.

"Hm?" Isamu arched one eyebrow in confusion.

"I said you're wrong," she repeated, this time a little louder. "I know Kiatsu and even if he did change, he would change for the better. Ever since we met, he has always shunned the path of evil and led himself onto the path of righteousness. He's always been that way and nothing you say or do will change that!" Kura raised her voice when speaking the last sentence so as to get her point across. However, the wolf merely closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders absentmindedly.

"Whatever you say. Just remember that if he ever turns his claws on you, don't come crawling to me because I won't have any sympathy…"

"And what does that say about you?" Kura questioned her foe.

"I'm trying to be helpful by telling you to stay away from Kiatsu. He's dangerous and deep down inside, you know it too…"

Kura forcefully shook her head, as if to rid her mind of everything the wolf had just said. "That's not true! I know him and he's not like that so just leave him alone! He didn't do anything wrong! If he says he didn't start the fight than I believe him. I've known him way longer than I've known you so I think it's pretty obvious who I should trust," she stated, a firm tone held in her voice.

"Okay then, be that way."

"I will."

"But since you refuse to stay with me and he's still alive, I think it's obvious what **_I _**should do…"

The young hanyou girl narrowed one eye as she looked at Isamu, her eyes glowing with that of curiosity.

"**_He _**must DIE!" The half-demon then leapt forward as he withdrew his claws, preparing to strike Kiatsu head on. However, old tricks never seem to work twice…at least in this case. The male hanyou jumped up into the air, dodged the attempted attack and landed gracefully a few feet behind the wolf. Before Isamu could turn around, Kiatsu took that opportunity to launch his own attack. He withdrew his sharp claws, which looked as though they could cut through solid rock and slashed at his left arm. The wolf clutched at his now bleeding limb and snarled menacingly at the hanyou pup.

"You made that mistake once before, but this time your action will not go unpunished!" he proclaimed as he broke out into a fast run and clawed Kiatsu's already wounded arm. The dog demon winced at the tremendous pain that was now coursing through his veins. He grabbed his arm and held it tight, trying to prevent the flow of blood from escaping his body.

Kiatsu panted heavily as he coughed out a few words. "If you think I'm going to let you stop me from rescuing Kura, you've got another thing coming. She's my best friend and I'm not going to let any harm come to her…especially from a wretched demon such as yourself…" he growled.

Isamu cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? And just how do you expect to stop me with a severely wounded arm? Hm?" As much as he hated to admit it, Kiatsu knew that he was right. It would be foolish to continue fighting in his condition. But what was he to do? He had to get Kura away from the wolf…but how? If he couldn't fight, what other option was there? He played with that question over and over again in his mind until he could think no more. He decided that he would just have to wait and see if someone showed up to help them.

_If Inuyasha was here, he would be able to defeat this bastard with one swing of his Tetsusaiga…_ he thought, mentally smirking to himself.

"Well?"

As the pain worsened, Kiatsu fought back the urge to yelp in pain. _I can't take much more of this…help had better be on the way…_ he pleaded to what was probably the Gods.

"Answer me puppy…or the girl gets it…" Isamu walked over to where Kura was currently standing and wrapped his right arm tightly around her neck, yet made sure that she could still breathe with only a little bit of difficulty. The female looked up to the wolf and growled lowly.

"Let…me…go…" Her voice came out as a struggled whisper as Kiatsu narrowed his eyes into tiny slits and began to growl angrily.

"Let her go right now," he hissed.

"And what are you going to do if I don't?" Isamu knew perfectly well that Kiatsu was in no condition to fight so he was in a good position…or so he thought…

"I…" Kiatsu was cut off before he could say even one more word. A gust of wind blew in from outside the cave and as soon as everything settled back to normal, Kiatsu and Kura were both entirely grateful to see the being that was standing before their very eyes.

"Dad!" Kura exclaimed as Isamu closed his arm tighter around her neck, causing her arms to flinch and straighten like that of a board.

"Inuyasha!" Kiatsu sounded just as happy as his friend when he saw the older dog demon.

"Inuyasha…" Isamu muttered under his breath.

Inuyasha nodded to Kiatsu and then noticed the sight that almost made him burst out in rage. "Kura!" He then glared at the one who held her captive. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded fiercely. The demon began laughing maniacally and then it became clear to the elder hanyou just who he was. "Isamu…"

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_**Mysterious Mistress Kura: **Sorry to leave you all hanging but the next chapter will be worth it I promise! Inuyasha versus Isamu! Who will win? You'll just have to wait for chapter fifteen to find out! He he he! I'm just so evil with this cliffhangers, aren't I? Oh well, that's just how life goes I guess. Anyway, please review! Luv ya! Ja ne!_


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen: Final Defeat**

The elder hanyou growled lowly as he refused to take his eyes off of the wolf standing before him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Isamu smirked victoriously, thinking that he had won before the battle even began. "You must be blind because in case you haven't noticed, I hold your daughter captive in my own two hands…"

"I can see that…" Inuyasha growled even more so.

Isamu cocked a single eyebrow. "Let me guess. You're going to ask why I kidnapped her, is that correct?"

"No, I'm going to kill you with **_my _**own two hands!" The half-demon bolted forward, his claws withdrawn and looking as though he could take down any demon in the Feudal Era; this was no exaggeration. When it came to his daughter or anyone close to him for that matter, he would risk everything just to save them…including his own life…

"Really? Well I beg to differ…" Isamu quickly leapt out of the demon's path and landed on the opposite side of the cave. Inuyasha turned around and glared at the wolf, anger clearly evident in his golden orbs. "I'm much stronger than the last time we met," he added solemnly.

"Is that so? Well if that's true, then why did you avoid my attack? If you're as strong as you claim to be, you could have withstood a blow to the body and not even flinched. So why be a coward and run from this fight?"

"Is it really a fight?" Isamu pretended to sound dumbfounded; however, this charade did not fool Inuyasha. He could tell that the wolf demon had planned on this encounter from the very beginning so any bluff he tried to pull would not work.

Inuyasha sighed outwardly. "You should know. You were the one who lead me here by capturing Kura and holding her hostage…not to mention the fact that you stole my Tetsusaiga…" It wasn't hard to tell that Inuyasha was on the verge of lashing out at the wolf. He couldn't stand the fact that he had taken his daughter, let alone his sword.

"So you figured it out, have you?"

"It's wasn't that hard. Once I found out about everything that has been going on, I immediately strung up the conclusion that it was you who was behind it all. I should have known that right from the start. From my knowledge, father always did despise a demon such as yourself…" Inuyasha snarled demonically.

"That is correct. Unfortunately, he was unable to defeat me. I've been hiding in here ever since our final battle, waiting for the right moment to reveal myself to you. However, when I heard that you and that mortal girl had a child together, I knew that that would be the best time to strike. I would wait patiently until the child grew older and then, when the time was right, I would kidnap her as a ploy to lead **_you _**to me," Isamu explained, using a rather sadistic tone of voice.

"Yah well, you certainly managed that plan nicely...too bad you won't be around to enjoy it!" Just as he had done before, Inuyasha withdrew his claws and charged straight ahead to where the wolf was currently situated. This time, however, the hanyou made his mark. His claws dug into the wolf demon's right shoulder blade causing blood to spurt out in every direction. This attack forced the wolf to release Kura from his grasp as she fell to the floor in a heap. Isamu followed that action all too quickly as he sank to his knees while clutching at his new wounded limb, almost as if he were ready to howl in pain. Intense pain was currently flowing through his veins, yet he fought back the urge to let any sign of weakness show through.

"You think that one attack will keep me down, half-demon?" Isamu forced himself into a standing position and glanced around at everyone standing before him. "I will have my revenge on you half-breed…you can guarantee it…"

Inuyasha, being the man that is, merely scoffed at this comment. "Is that so? Well then you must have been sleeping when I just knocked you off your feet. I'd say that that was very well played, don't you agree?" While all this was going on between the two rivals, Kiatsu rushed to Kura's aid, making absolute sure that she was all right.

"Heh," was all that was heard coming from the wolf's mouth. "You'd like me to answer that with a **_yes_**, wouldn't you?"

"Frankly, I could care less how you answer me. In fact, I wouldn't give a damn if you didn't answer me at all." Both Kiatsu and Kura knew this attitude all too well. Whenever Inuyasha used this specific tone of voice with his enemies, you knew that he was annoyed with them and was prepared to do whatever was necessary to wipe the smirk off their face.

"You seem to have a very negative attitude towards certain things. I suggest changing your ways before someone misinterprets what you say…"

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow out of sudden curiosity. "Just what are you getting at?"

Isamu sighed. "Sometimes you can be so dense…" Inuyasha growled at this comment before allowing the wolf to continue on with his speech. "What I'm trying to say is that unless you want your words to be misinterpreted by a stranger and have harm come to those you love, I suggest that you change your attitude."

"And since when do you tell me what to do?" It was at that moment that Kura released a heavy sigh that she had been holding for quite some time now. She knew just how stubborn her father was and that he would rarely listen to what others told him. Of course, Sango, Miroku, Kiatsu and herself were exceptions. They all held a strong bond with the half-demon and could confine even their deepest, darkest secrets within one another's hearts. Nekura, on the other hand was still new to the group and Inuyasha needed to make sure that she was fully trustworthy in order to become one of their traveling companions. This would happen every time someone wanted to join their group; they would first have to pass an inspection done by Inuyasha himself. If they were found to be good and not evil, they were welcome to join. However, if there was even the slightest hint of darkness in their hearts, well, you should know what happens then so I won't explain it any further.

Isamu shrugged his shoulders in such a way that it looked as though he didn't care what happened next. "Hey, I'm just telling it like it is," he stated honestly, which was a first for the wolf demon.

"Yah well, when I want your opinion, I'll ask for it," the silvery-haired hanyou shot back.

Isamu shook his head and looked back to the hanyou before him. "You're a lot like your father, yet you possess so many of your mother's best qualities…"

Inuyasha was about to make a comeback when he paused before he even spoke a single word. How did this demon know his mother? From what he had heard, he was only in combat with his father. Was it possible that this half-demon had met his mother long before he was even born?

"Speechless are we?" Isamu knew that Inuyasha would not understand all that he had said and was prepared to explain himself if the need for it arose.

"No I just…" He couldn't speak; something inside of him was preventing the words from coming out. He didn't know what it was but he had to overcome this block in his mind…yes, it was all in his mind. Unfortunately, what he had hoped was not the complete truth…

"Yes? Tell me what it is you wish to say…or are you to afraid to say it?"

"No!" Inuyasha retorted all too quickly. He didn't want to give Isamu the benefit of the doubt and have him think that he was scared to say a few words. No, he would tell him what he thought and prove that he was not afraid of anything; after all, he was one of the strongest demons in the Feudal Era, what with Naraku gone that is.

"Well then, spit it out," Isamu demanded of the half-demon while tapping his foot in impatience.

Inuyasha tightly clenched both of his fists and began to growl lowly, almost as if he were ready to start yet another fight. However, he managed to control himself and heaved a sudden outward sigh before speaking. "You don't know my mother, you never have and you never will…"

"Oh? Why do you say that?" Sarcasm was clearly evident in the wolf's voice but Inuyasha did not let that bother him.

"Because I'm going to kill you myself!" he shouted angrily as he leapt up into the air and prepared to strike once more, this time being more than successful. He managed to plunge his claws deep into the wolf's chest, just narrowly missing his heart. When he jumped back and landed in his original position, Isamu fell to his knees while clutching at his new bleeding wound. As blood slipped through his fingers and down his body, Inuyasha smirked to himself.

"Now do you understand that I will do anything in order to protect those I care most about?" No sound came from the wolf's mouth except when he began coughing heavily, spitting out a little blood as he did so.

"I don't care…" He finally managed to speak, only to have more pain shoot through his entire body. "I will…have my revenge…someday…" With those last few words, he collapsed face-first on the ground, more blood spilling out from his now punctured chest. There was no way that he was going to be able to stand up again; if he didn't die from the attack itself, it would be the loss of blood that killed him.

Inuyasha panted before turning to Kura and Kiatsu. "That was hardly a challenge," he retorted with somewhat of a small smile, which was rare for the half-demon. Kura giggled a little, knowing that his sense of humor hadn't changed a bit. Kiatsu only looked at his friend and grinned happily. He was glad to have her back, safe and sound.

"Well, what do you say we head back to the village? I bet the others are back there, waiting for us to return," Kura suggested. Inuyasha simply nodded as Kiatsu copied the gesture.

"Sounds like a plan," Kiatsu added. It was then that Inuyasha knelt down and motioned for the pair to climb on. "We'll be able to get there faster this way." The female hanyou nodded in agreement, as did Kiatsu and soon the trio was on their way back to Lady Kaede's village. Who knows what the future has in store for them when they return…

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_**Mysterious Mistress Kura: **I hope you all liked this chapter because the next one will be the **last**! I hope you've all been enjoying this story because I certainly enjoyed writing it. But for now, I better get going. Please review and let me know your opinions! Luv ya! Ja ne!_


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen: A Happy Ending**

When Inuyasha, Kura and Kiatsu arrived back at the village, they were surprised at how quiet it was. It seemed almost too quiet…at least for a village such as this one.

"Where is everybody?" Kura inquired, hopping off of her father's back. Kiatsu followed suit and looked around at their current surroundings.

"I don't know. They should be around here somewhere," the young male added with a simple shrug of his shoulders.

"I wouldn't worry about it. They're probably all congregated in the hut over there. I'm going to go check it out," Inuyasha stated matter-of-factly as he walked over towards the tiny hut that was located not too far from where they were currently standing. Kura and Kiatsu followed the eldest demon in search of their friends. When Inuyasha pulled back the flap covering the entranceway, they were entirely grateful to see the people who were sitting before their very eyes.

"Hey guys!" Kura greeted cheerily.

Nekura looked up only to find the half-demon girl standing before her. "Kura!" she exclaimed while standing up herself. She ran over to her friend and embraced her in what seemed like the biggest hug either girl had ever received.

"Glad to see you too." When the elemental let go of her, Kura flashed a bright smile.

"I thought that you weren't coming back." Nekura wiped away the single tear that threatened to fall from her icy blue orbs. She refused to cry, even though she had been truly scared for her friend's safety. She didn't want to lose her after just getting to know her. She despised death after her entire village had been slaughtered by a band of demons and thieves. She would do anything to protect those that she loved…including risking her own life. She didn't care what happened to her as long as her friends were safe.

"You can't get rid of me that easily," Kura replied as her smile widened even more so. Nekura simply returned the emotional gesture and turned to Inuyasha.

"So what exactly happened with you three?"

Inuyasha sighed exasperatedly. "It's a long story and I'd rather not get into details. Besides, I'm starving. What's for dinner?" It was at that very moment that everyone began laughing; they knew that the half-demon's appetite had ceased to diminish.

Kura heaved an outward sigh as she shook her head. "I should have known that that would be the first question you'd ask. But just so you know, it's ramen." That comment nearly made Inuyasha jump for joy. If there was one thing he would go crazy for, it was ramen. "Now I know where I got my addiction from…" Everyone continued laughing, this time even harder until they could laugh no more.

"Well guys, since Inuyasha is getting impatient, what do you say we get started on cooking dinner?" Sango suggested as she felt Miroku wrap his one arm around her shoulders. She was surprised to find that he didn't attempt to grab her butt…at least for now. She just simply smiled and walked over to the spot where a fire would soon be lit. She then motioned for everyone to gather round as the pile of logs suddenly burst into flames. Kura brought out a large pot from the hut and handed it to Sango, along with a handful of noodles. The pot had already been filled with water, seeing as how Sango had filled it earlier that very same day while they were waiting for Inuyasha, Kura and Kiatsu to return.

While the noodles were slowly cooking, everyone began discussing the events of the past few days. In such a short time, they were able to overcome even the greatest of challenges. They couldn't predict what the future held in store for them next, but one thing was for sure, they would get through it together…

**OWARI**

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_**Mysterious Mistress Kura: **This was a short chapter but I hope it was to your liking. Then again, seeing as how I have many nice reviews from many dedicated fans, I can tell that you really enjoyed this story. Now I'm off to finish the rest of my stories, which I will do in the next little while or so. So thank you for all of your wonderful reviews and I look forward to seeing them in the future! Luv ya! Ja ne!_


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